A Guy Reveals The Best Compliments You Can Possibly Give Your Boyfriend

If there’s one thing I know about women (at least I think I know), it’s that they love getting compliments. But you’re not the only ones! We guys like to hear nice things about ourselves too. If you’re looking to give more compliments to the special gentleman in your life (and I suggest you do), here are the best ways to do it.

  1. “I believe in you.” If this sounds a little corny, there are other ways to get this sentiment across than literally saying “I believe in you.” The point is that it’s important to guys that the people in our lives think highly of us and our accomplishments. It means the world to a guy when his significant other tells him that he’s talented and has confidence in him to achieve anything he wants. Again, it’s a little corny, but it’s the type of compliment that a guy needs every now and then.
  2. Compliment a body part that we control. Sure, nobody is gonna hate hearing that you like their eyes, but let’s be honest, we lucked into our eyes. If you’re going to compliment a guy’s physical appearance, aim for a body part that he actually controls. If he works out a lot, mention how you like his arms or abs. After all, those of us who work hard at the gym do so because we want to look like we’re in decent shape and it always feels good to have that work recognized. Of course, if the hardest your boyfriend works at his appearance is spending 30 minutes to gel his hair, you should compliment his hair. Actually, check that, you should break up with him because that guy probably sucks.
  3. “I love how you think.” Transitioning away from our physical appearance, keep in mind that guys aren’t a piece of meat for you to ogle. We have brains too, you know, and sometimes it’s nice to be complimented for our intelligence. That doesn’t mean calling Stockholm to nominate us for a Nobel Prize, but think about it this way: the world is filled with intelligent women, and some guys like it when the smart woman they’re dating notices that they’re pretty smart too.
  4. Acknowledge our work ethic. I’m sure you ladies can relate to having your effort go unnoticed by your partner sometimes, but just remember, it’s a two-way street. If a guy does a lot of work around the house, just recognize his hours of labor. If a guy comes home late from the office, don’t complain about the lack of time together. Instead, tell him that you admire his work ethic. Do you really think your boyfriend would choose work over you if he didn’t have to? You should compliment that work ethic and be glad your boyfriend isn’t a lazy bum, right?
  5. Give props to our facial hair. To be fair, growing facial hair isn’t exactly a skill. It’s a genetic gift you either have or don’t. But guys still like to get compliments about their facial hair, especially from the special lady in their lives. For the guys who spend time grooming their facial hair, in particular, this is one way that we try to look our best. It’s always nice to receive compliments so that we know it’s not going unnoticed.
  6. Praise our sense of humor. There are few compliments that make a guy feel like he’s captured a woman’s interest and attention more than being told he’s funny. I can’t explain it, that’s just the way it is. I guess it makes us feel useful and reaffirms that you want to be around us. That doesn’t mean you should lie to a guy who isn’t funny, but if he can always make you laugh, please let him know.
  7. “I love the way you [fill in the blank.]” With guys, make sure your compliments are as specific as possible. Otherwise, they tend to fly right over our heads. If there’s something about a guy that you particularly enjoy, envy, or admire, let him know. Being specific with your compliments gives us a better understanding of why you like being around us, which feels good and is reassuring. Believe it or not, some guys can get insecure and wonder why a certain woman is dating them, so specific compliments can help.
  8. “You’re great in bed.” OK, we all know that some guys are complete douchebags who just want to brag about how good they are in bed, but this isn’t about them because you shouldn’t be dating guys like that anyway. The rest of us just close our eyes and hope for the best. For those guys, it always helps to give them compliments and positive reinforcement for their performance between the sheets. That doesn’t mean you lie or go overboard with your praise if it’s not true, but if it’s good, let him know because most good guys are eager to please in bed, and compliments help our confidence.
Bryan Zarpentine graduated from Syracuse University and lives in upstate New York, where he writes largely about the world of sports. His work has appeared on Franchise Sports and WSN, among others. You can find him on Twitter @BZarp.
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