The Worst Responses to “I Love You” That Will Leave a Bad Taste in Your Mouth

One social media user asked on Reddit: “What is the worst way to respond to ‘I love you?'” She was showered with nearly 10,000 responses to her question.

If I could only get your sister to say that

shutterstock 510830917

“If I could only get your sister to say that.”

This response was met with a collective groan and jeers from other Reddit users. We’re hoping this has never happened to anyone.

Not Saying Anything and Laughing

girl laughing

“Just not saying anything and laughing, like a real good hearty laugh, would be pretty bad,” one person commented.

Someone in the comments section guilty admitted to replying similarly at a New Year’s party.

One guy said, “We should hang out sometime,” which sent the then-drunk and high commenter into fits of laughter because she didn’t really fancy him.

Shortly after, she recognized that snubbing him like that was terrible, but the damage was already done.

You’re just not terribly important to me

girl telling guy to stop

“You’re just not terribly important to me,” one person said.

Nobody wants to hear such callous words in response to a sincere display of love.

That’s adorable

happy smiling couple

One individual seemed to recall a moment when he said, “I love you,” and received the reply, “That’s adorable!” from a person called Sydney.

We need to talk

unhappy couple

“We need to talk,” one person said.

While this response can be taken in different contexts, it is usually a way of shutting someone down. This kind of reply implies that something needs to be discussed and likely isn’t good news.

Good for you

awkward smile couple

One user said: “Good for you.”

This response is simply dismissive. It’s essentially a way of saying, “I don’t really care.” Ouch.

That’s nice

couple drinking wine

“That’s nice,” one person commented.

This response comes off as patronizing. It’s essentially a way of brushing away the sentiment without actually validating the person.

You don’t know what love is, Forrest.

awkward couple

“You don’t know what love is, Forrest.”

“I’m not a smart man, but I know what love is.”

This response was inspired by the classic movie Forrest Gump. In this scene, Jenny tells Forrest that he doesn’t know what love is.

While it may be a fun reference to make from time to time, it’s not really an appropriate reply when someone expresses their feelings for you.

Message seen at 12:41 AM

girl looking at phone surprised

Yep, they are probably not going to reply. It’s best just to be honest if you can’t return someone’s feelings rather than leave them hanging.

One person admitted that this happened to them recently. He was on and off with his girlfriend for years, and they lived eight hours apart.

At one point, the commenter was going through a particularly rough patch, and he sent a message saying he loved and missed her, but she never responded.

He was surprised by the lack of response, even though he knows she “has difficulty finding the words to say when it comes to her feelings or responding to people’s expressions of their feelings.”

Okay

awkward cringey guy

“okay,” one person commented.

One user recounted the time this happened to his girlfriend through her godmother. “She was put out, especially since her family says ‘I love you’ very often.”

I Love Cake

woman not interested

“I love cake,” another person commented.

When Donna tells Eric on an episode of the 70s show she loves him, he freaks out and only says that he loves cake. 

No, You Don’t

man looking skeptical

“No, you don’t. You love the idea of it. You love the idea of being in love, but you’re not,” one person said. “You’re too self-centered and dumb to love anyone. You think infatuation is love, but it’s not. You’re just too stupid to know any better.”

I know

awkward man

“I know.”

Mr. Know-it-all is at it again!

Thank you

couple staring into eyes

One of the most devastating and potent phrases is simple yet sincere, “Thank you.”

One person said. “My first girlfriend said ‘Thank you’ when I told her I loved her, it felt like someone had hit me in the nuts with a tire iron.”

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What other examples do you think should have made it to this list?

This post, called The Worst and Most Hilarious “I Love You” Responses, was syndicated and produced by TPR Teaching. Source.

I'm an Irish tutor and founder of TPR Teaching. I started teaching in 2016 and have since taught in the UK, Spain, and online.

I love learning new things about the English language and how to teach it better. I'm always trying to improve my knowledge, so I can better meet the needs of others!

I enjoy traveling, nature walks, and soaking up a new culture. Please share the posts if you find them helpful!

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