Men typically like making eye contact when speaking to women, especially those they’re attracted to. So, when they avoid it, there’s normally a real reason behind it.

Here are some of the most significant and true meanings behind men avoiding eye contact with a woman:

1. He is sad or angry about something

Emotional expressions change around the eyes, communicating what you feel to others. You avoid eye contact when you don’t want someone to see what you’re feeling (especially a negative emotion).

When a guy avoids eye contact, he could be hiding negative emotions so as not to worry you or for fear of appearing vulnerable. He could be sad or angry about something that has happened, or it could be that he is angry with you and doesn’t want to confront you.

2. He Might Be Attracted To You.

The second reason he may avoid eye contact is that he is attracted to you. It would be embarrassing for him and he doesn’t want to be noticed by you. You can tell this by a eye gaze and if he looks you in the eye.

3. He is shy or introverted

Shyness is another top reason a man might avoid eye contact with you. Many shy people, especially introverts or those suffering from social anxiety, tend to avoid making eye contact. This can be due to feeling uncomfortable with new people or a new environment or as a means to avoid awkward moments when talking to others.

Another thing to note is that shy people might avoid eye contact whether they like you or not. So, the best thing to do with such a person is to start slowly and get to know them. Once they are comfortable with you, they might have an easier time making and maintaining eye contact.

4. He’s intimidated by you

Even if he’s not usually shy, he might avoid eye contact because he feels intimidated by you in some way. Perhaps he’s not used to being around such a confident and successful woman. Or maybe you’re his superior at work or in a social situation, and he doesn’t want to risk saying the wrong thing.

He might suffer from low self-esteem and believe he’s not good enough for you. Or he could be worried that he’ll make a fool of himself if he tries to talk to you. Whatever the reason, avoidance is usually a sign of insecurity.

5. He doesn’t want to interact with you

Sometimes, there is no hidden meaning when a guy avoids eye contact with you; it could simply be a sign that he is not interested in interacting with you. He could find your conversation boring and thus avoid eye contact as a way to end it. Or he could be uncomfortable with the environment you are in and want to leave.

It’s not always easy to know if a guy is disinterested in you simply because he avoids eye contact. So, it would help if you also looked for other signs, such as a nervous smile (or lack of one), uncomfortable body posture, or his eyes constantly scanning the room for someone else.

6. He Doesn’t Like You

When a guy doesn’t actually like you, but you don’t know it, and he can tell you don’t know, he’s very likely to avoid looking you directly in the eye let alone try for too much eye contact with you at all.

If he’s a generally good guy, but for whatever just doesn’t really care much for you (in his head), he’ll probably let you drone on for as long as you like.

7. He is involved with someone else

When a man avoids eye contact with a woman, it might mean he’s involved with someone else. Therefore, when a man doesn’t look you in the eyes, it could be that he is involved with someone else and avoids eye contact to let you know this. It could also be possible that he is not in a relationship but is interested in someone else.

8. He is hiding something from you

Lack of eye contact is a sign of deception.

If a man is avoiding eye contact all of a sudden, he is likely hiding something from you. A man who is feeling guilty could avoid eye contact so as not to feel judged, accused, exposed, or vulnerable.

He could also be doing it so as not to get caught in a lie, thus leading to confrontation. It would help to look for other signs of deception besides eye contact. This includes fidgeting, a tense posture, saying too little or too much, and being defensive.