Knowing how to respond to pick-up lines isn’t always easy. While using a pick-up line is one of the oldest dating tricks in the book, finding a response often depends on the individual situation. Most often, pick-up lines are used with fun, genuine intentions to break the ice. Other times though, they might just be plain awkward!
Love them or hate them, pick-up lines are here to stay. Below, we’ve put together an extensive list covering the question of how to respond to pick-up lines, whether you’re feeling the flirty vibe or not. Keep these in mind and try them out next time someone uses hits you with a cheesy opener!
How To Respond To Pick-Up Lines: Here Are 31 Ideas You Can Try
So, what are some good ways to respond to pick-up lines? Approaching this isn’t always that easy, but with a few suggestions in mind, you’ll be ready to respond in the best way possible. Check out 31 of our top ideas below!
1. Play along and keep the conversation going
Most often, pick-up lines are just a bit of harmless flirting. If this is the case, play along and try to keep the conversation going. Try out some flirty questions for him or flirty questions for her to have some fun with the person you’re engaging with.
2. Come up with a witty response
This is a great way to catch someone off guard after they deliver a cheesy pick-up line. Not only that, but a clever witty response can also help to break the ice and give you both something to laugh about together.
3. Have your go-to pick-up line ready
When it comes to how to respond to pick-up lines, having one ready can often come in handy. If you’re unhappy with the way the original pick-up line was delivered, having a copycat response up your sleeve can be a great way to show someone just how cringey their opening line was.
4. Better yet, one-up his pick-up line
If a copycat line isn’t enough, send back something 10 times cheesier than what was sent to you. They seem to love banter, so why not send some back their way?
5. Laugh and ask them for another pick-up line
Just to see how many you can get out of them.
6. Play dumb
If they come at you with “Did it hurt? When you fell from heaven?” then hit them back with “I’m sorry, you must have me confused with someone else. I’ve never been to heaven, and I certainly didn’t fall from heaven. I think I’d remember if I did.” If you want to keep the convo going, soften it with a winky face emoji.
7. Critique their pick-up line
Try something like, “Bold opening. It was smart to compliment my cute dog, not my body. 8/10 would keep talking to!”
8. Ask for pick-up lines to be combined with genuine compliments
A great way to respond to pick-up lines is to tell them they’re fine, so long as, for every one they send you, they also have to send you two meaningful compliments.
9. Call a do-over on his behalf
Not happy with being sent an awkward pick-up line? Tell them to start the conversation over, this time without any cheesy opening lines.
10. Send a fake error message
Wondering how to respond to pick-up lines on dating apps? Send a cheeky fake error message and see how they respond. “ERROR 404: Your message could not be delivered because the recipient’s phone has anti-pick-up-line software installed. Please try again and remember to just be yourself.”
11. Tell them you’re offering a unique investment opportunity if they wire you $25 million
You’ll win the award for having one of the top funny responses to pick-up lines.
12. Send a GIF that sums up your thoughts on their pick-up line
Whether favorable or not, online dating GIFs are often way better at describing our thoughts and emotions than words!
13. Tell them to forward the message to 15 people in the next 45 seconds for good luck
A great response to see how brave they’re feeling, especially if the pick-up line they used is awkward and cheesy!
14. Use an old-school response
Wondering how to respond to pick-up lines over text? Why not go old-school and use the classic, “New phone, who dis?”
15. Pretend you’re their mom and that they messaged the wrong person
Especially if their pick-up line was cringey and awkward, this is a funny way to give them a taste of their own medicine!
16. Pretend to be your dad
You weren’t impressed with their pick-up line and they must win your approval before they can speak with you!
17. Text them a survey to gauge their interest in you
“I see you’ve sent a pick-up line. Is this because, A: You’re just trying to be light and funny, B: The internet told you this is how flirting works, or C: You’ve got nothing more interesting to say?” Fingers crossed it’s A. Knowing how to flirt over text is an art in itself, so why not take this opportunity to practice?
18. Send the cringe emoji
It’s a classic pick-up line response. Sometimes, emojis speak louder than words. He’ll get the message.
19. Inquire about their success rate with pick-up lines
It’s not a yes, and it’s not a no. It’s a way to buy you time to figure out if it’s worth keeping the conversation going and if he’s for real or not.
20. Tell them the conversation can only proceed if they answer three riddles
Sometimes, knowing how to respond to pick-up lines is all about getting creative. This response is a great way to move past a cheesy line and get the conversation flowing. It’ll also allow you to gauge how well you connect.
21. Use it as an opportunity to start a conversation
This one sounds obvious. But, as cheesy as pick-up lines can be, more often than not, they present a great opportunity to start a meaningful conversation with someone. Try asking them the worst pick-up line they’ve ever heard to get you both laughing!
22. Tell them a pick-up line-related story
A smooth response to pick-up lines is to tell them a time someone used a truly awkward pick-up line on you. It’s a fun way to break the ice and spark conversation.
23. Tell them your BS meter is going off…
…and that the only way to stop it is to be real with you.
24. Ask them to repeat themself
This is a winning method for how to reply to cheesy pick-up lines. If they have to say the same thing twice, they might realize how lame it sounds and ditch the pick-up line route in favor of more meaningful conversation starters.
25. Tell them how often you’ve heard that one today
This might make them think twice about using pick-up lines and go with a more genuine opener in the future.
26. Be honest
You don’t have to pretend to like something that you don’t. Not feeling it? Just let them know. This response might feel like more effort at first, but telling him straight up that you’re not into is one of the best ways to respond to pick-up lines.
27. Ignore them altogether
If you feel disrespected, awkward, or creeped out by a pick-up line, the best thing to do is just to ignore them completely.
28. Consider giving them the benefit of the doubt
Not everyone using a pick-up line has bad intentions. They might be nervous and trying to break the ice or make you laugh. So, even if you’re not really into pick-up lines, try giving the person the benefit of the doubt when and see if the conversation can be moved onto something more meaningful.
29. Tell them they don’t need to use pick-up lines
If you’re into the person, reassure them that they don’t need to use any cheesy lines to get your attention, because they already have it. If the signs of attraction are already there, then there should be no need for any cheesy opening lines.
30. Be kind and smile
A little kindness never hurt anyone. If you’re responding to a pick-up line on a first date, smiling is a great way to ease any potential awkwardness. It also shows that you appreciate the effort they made, even if you think that the pick-up line was a bit cheesy.
31. Change the subject
Still not sure how to respond to pick-up lines? Say hi, ignore the awkward pick-up line altogether, and move the conversation swiftly on to something else.
Responding To Pick-Up Lines: You Got This!
When it comes to knowing how to respond to pick-up lines, there’s no one perfect way to. It depends on who the line comes from, what mood you’re in, and the context of when and where you’re having your conversation.
A pick-up line from someone through a dating app can feel fun and flirty, while that same pick-up line from someone at a bar can feel creepy. Our best advice is to trust your gut, be yourself, and pick a response that you feel most comfortable with. You got this!
