People don’t always say what they really feel.
Sometimes, someone might dislike you but hide it behind a polite smile or friendly small talk.
It’s not always obvious—but if you pay attention, their true feelings tend to slip through in subtle ways.
Reading these signs can help you navigate relationships more smoothly, avoid unnecessary conflict, and focus your energy on the right people.
If you’ve ever had a gut feeling that someone isn’t as friendly as they seem, here are eight subtle behaviors to watch for:
1) Their smile doesn’t reach their eyes
A fake smile can be pretty convincing—at least, on the surface.
But if someone secretly dislikes you, their smile often lacks warmth.
Their mouth might curve upward, but their eyes stay flat, missing that natural crinkle of genuine happiness.
It’s a subtle sign, but once you start noticing it, it’s hard to ignore.
A real smile lights up the whole face, while a forced one feels… off.
Of course, not everyone who gives a half-hearted smile dislikes you—some people are just reserved or having a bad day.
If you consistently notice this behavior from the same person? It might be their way of masking how they truly feel.
2) They give backhanded compliments
I once had a coworker who always seemed friendly—at least, on the surface.
She’d smile, ask me how my day was going, and never said anything outright rude.
But something always felt… off.
Then I started noticing how she complimented me:
“Wow, you actually did a great job on that project!”
“I wish I had the confidence to wear something like that.”
“You’re so lucky—people don’t expect you to be this smart.”
Each comment sounded nice at first, but there was always a little sting underneath.
It was as if she couldn’t bring herself to be genuinely kind without sneaking in a subtle jab.
That’s the thing about backhanded compliments—they allow someone to disguise their dislike as politeness.
3) Their body points away from you
Even when someone is smiling and nodding, their body language can tell a completely different story.
When people genuinely enjoy your presence, they naturally angle their body toward you—whether it’s their feet, torso, or even just their head.
But when someone secretly dislikes you, they’ll often do the opposite.
Their feet might point toward the exit, their arms may stay tightly crossed, or they’ll subtly lean away as if creating distance without making it obvious.
This happens because body language is often instinctive, not something most people consciously control.
While words can be chosen carefully, the way a person positions themselves around you can reveal what they’re really feeling.
4) They rarely make eye contact
Eye contact is one of the strongest forms of nonverbal communication.
When someone likes and respects you, they naturally meet your gaze during conversations.
However, if they secretly dislike you, they may avoid it—whether consciously or not.
They might glance around the room while you’re talking, focus on their phone, or look past you rather than at you.
In some cases, they’ll make eye contact but only for brief moments before quickly looking away.
This avoidance often happens because maintaining eye contact creates a sense of connection, and if someone harbors negative feelings toward you, they may instinctively resist forming that bond.
5) They don’t engage in the conversation
I’ve had conversations where I could just feel the other person wasn’t interested.
They’d respond, sure—but only with short, generic answers that didn’t add anything to the discussion.
No follow-up questions, no enthusiasm, just the bare minimum to keep things moving.
When someone secretly dislikes you, they often do the same.
They won’t outright ignore you (that would be too obvious), but they also won’t put in any real effort to connect.
Their responses might be clipped, their tone flat, and their body language closed off.
It’s a subtle way of creating distance without being openly rude.
And honestly? It can be more telling than words ever could.
6) They’re overly polite
You’d think that if someone disliked you, they’d be cold or dismissive.
But sometimes, the opposite happens—they’re too polite.
They never disagree with you, laugh at all the right moments, and keep their tone perfectly pleasant.
On the surface, it seems like they’re being nice, but something about it feels… unnatural—almost rehearsed.
That’s because when people are hiding their true feelings, they often overcompensate.
They don’t want to be obvious about their dislike, so they go out of their way to be excessively agreeable.
Real connections aren’t built on forced politeness—they’re built on authenticity.
If someone is being too careful around you, it might be worth questioning why.
7) They exclude you in small, subtle ways
Dislike doesn’t always show up as open hostility—sometimes, it’s about the little things.
Maybe a group is making plans right in front of you, but this one person never directly asks if you’d like to join.
Or they conveniently “forget” to send you an invite to something everyone else was included in.
Even in conversation, they might acknowledge others more than you—laughing at their jokes, responding to their comments, but giving you little attention.
It’s not outright rejection, but it’s just enough to make you feel like an outsider.
When this happens once or twice, it could be unintentional, but when it becomes a pattern then it’s often a quiet way of signaling that they don’t see you as part of their circle.
8) Their energy shifts when you’re around
More than anything, pay attention to how a person’s energy changes when you enter the room.
Were they laughing and engaged before suddenly becoming quieter?
Did their posture stiffen just a little?
Do they seem eager to leave the moment they get the chance?
People can fake smiles, force politeness, and say all the right things, but energy doesn’t lie.
If someone truly dislikes you, you’ll feel it—even if you can’t always explain why.
Reading between the lines
Human interactions are rarely black and white.
Just because someone is polite doesn’t mean they like you, and just because they aren’t openly rude doesn’t mean they want to be around you.
Most people won’t tell you how they really feel—but their actions, no matter how small, will.
Learning to read these subtle behaviors isn’t about paranoia or overanalyzing every interaction.
It’s about recognizing where you truly stand with people so you can focus your time and energy on those who genuinely value your presence.
At the end of the day, the most important thing isn’t whether someone likes you—it’s surrounding yourself with those who do.
