By Chris Seiter

Updated on June 10th, 2021

A hug….

It’s such a simple gesture, isn’t it?

And yet, people seem to continually complicate the meaning of it when it comes to relationships.

Well, this is especially true when it comes to women trying to dissect their ex boyfriends every move.

A few weeks ago a woman in our private support group posed a question that I have gotten at least a hundred times.

What does it mean if your ex hugs you? Is it a good thing?

Well, more specifically her exact statement went like this,

So, does it mean anything when an ex hugs you?

Or are you overthinking things too much?

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Let’s Ask The Experts…. (Seriously!)

Now, those of you who know me know that when it comes to the content that goes on this website I like to go WAAYYY above and beyond.

I am also not above trying something new.

Now, I know what you are thinking,

“What do you mean by that, Chris?”

Well, when it comes to an ex hugging you I know exactly where I stand with what I think (obviously.) However, I wanted to see if other experts in the relationship field agreed with me so I did something I have never done in the history of this website, I asked them!

More on that in a second.

Over the years I have learned that you often end up with a better outcome when you tackle a question with multiple minds instead of one.

No seriously…

They have done multiple studies and found that when people work together the ultimate outcome is often better.

It’s the two minds is better than one theory.

So, here is how I have decided to answer “if hugging means anything” when it comes to your ex.

I have decided that I am going to include my opinion with multiple different experts and let the fates decide! In other words, I am going to give you my opinion which you can follow if you want but I am also going to see what the most common answer was among all of us and let the collective group decide the ultimate answer.

After all two minds are better than one 😉 .

What Are Your Chances of Getting Your Ex Boyfriend Back?

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Of course, doing things this way presents an interesting problem.

Where the heck am I going to find relationship experts?

I’d like to introduce you to HARO!

HARO stands for “Help A Reporter Out” and I was basically able to connect with a bunch of experts (like myself) through it and ask them about the ultimate hugging question of the century 😉 .

Ultimately I was able to connect with 6 experts from all walks of life (relating to relationships.)

For example, some of the experts were licensed psychologists, popular names with relationship websites and psychics.

Alright, enough build up.

Let’s get right down to business.

Expert Take #1: Chris Seiter ( Professional Relationship Consultant Specializing In Breakups)

Hey that’s me!

😉

Alright so does it mean anything if your ex boyfriend hugs you?

Well, that’s a question that ultimately has two answers depending on the context.

You see, I am of the mind that context is everything when it comes to these kind of scenarios.

Allow me to elaborate.

Let’s pretend for a moment that you and your ex boyfriend have just broken up and the two of you decide that you should exchange your things (as is typically the custom) and somewhere during that very brief interaction he gives you a very quick hug.

Kind of like this,

Well, in that case I’m inclined to believe that it’s just a hug.

Nothing more…

Now, let’s switch gears for a moment and completely change the context.

Let’s imagine that it’s been a few months since you and your ex broke up.

The two of you have been flirting a lot recently and he asks if he can see you and you readily accept.

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During this interaction he literally says,

I have missed you so much

He then hugs you pulling you in tight and holds the hug for what seems like an eternity.

You melt in his arms as you feel exactly where you are supposed to be.

In this particular case I would say that, that particular hug probably means something.

So, to sum up I think that when it comes to hugging it’s all a matter of context.

Context is everything.

But let’s see what the other experts have to say.

Expert Take #2: Karen J. Helfrich, LCSW-C (Psychotherapist)

First up with have Karen J. Helfrich from www.karenjhelfrich.com. Now, Karen is a Licensed Psychoterapist and I thought she had a really fascinating take.

Here’s what she had to say,

“Hi, Chris!

This is a great question. In general, I counsel clients that unless the hug is following a declaration of intent to get back together, a hug is just a hug and doesn’t “mean” anything. In general, if a man is interested, there is no question about whether or not he is interested. Women deal in subtlety, not guys. It is important to make decisions based off behavior you can see, not feelings you can only imagine. In a break-up situation, the feelings are too strong and cloud judgement. If he’s not super clear, it’s just a hug.

Thanks, Chris!

Warmly,
Karen

P.S. I have a Lily, too! They are the best!”

If you didn’t know my daughter’s name is Lilly,

(Here is my Lilly, Karen!)

So, where I was all about the context of the hug, Karen was all about the clarity of it!

In other words, it is her belief that in order for a hug to truly mean something a man will make some type of deceleration of intent before engaging in the act.

For example, if he says “I love you” and then hugs you then the hug probably means something.

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Let’s move on to our next expert!

Expert Take #3: Davida Rappaport (Psychic, Speaker, Tarot Instructor)

I thought it would be super fun to get a quote from a psychic and that’s when I was introduced to Davida Rappaport!

So, here is what she had to say,

“Many of my clients want to know about re-uniting with ex-boyfriends. They tend to obsess over them because they still love them (even if the relationship might have been abusive) and want them back.

Because dating is difficult, they find it easier to want to go back to their ex-boyfriends. They ask me if their ex still loves them or misses them or thinks about them, which is an answer I cannot ethically provide them. What I can do is provide them with possible answers.

Each relationship is unique, even if similar and there is no right answer. The quality of the hug makes a difference. Here are a few options for you:

  1. Sometimes when exes run into one another, they may hug. Depending upon what their relationship was like prior to the break up would determine the significance of the hug.
  2. If this hug is not the same type of hug experienced when they were dating, it may just be a friendly hug – a “Hi, how are you?” type of hug.
  3. If the hug is warm, loving and genuine, this shows that the ex-boyfriend still cares about his ex-girlfriend; he may, indeed, still love her. It does not necessarily mean he want to re-kindle the relationship. It may be, but it is up to the ex-girlfriend to ask if he wants to get back together again. Assumptions create messy emotions and imaginations run rampant.
  4. If a man still cares about his ex-girlfriend, it does not necessarily mean he wants to get back together with her. I try to remind my clients that they shouldn’t read too much into the hug. If in doubt, ask him what he is feeling.
  5. If the ending of the relationship was stormy and difficult, assume that whatever type of hug is offered and received, it is just a friendly hug.

I hope this helps.”

I think this is a really great take by Davida. She took a scattershot approach to answering my question if a hug means anything from an ex boyfriend.

So, instead of giving a general answer she decided to talk about the specifics of the hug.

Was the hug the same type of hug you used to experience before the breakup?

Was the hug warm, loving and genuine?

But Davida also made it clear that it’s important to not read too much into the hug. Assumptions can create messy emotions after all (her words not mine.)

So, what is Davida’s ultimate take on if a hug means anything?

Well, I think it’s kind of similar to both experts 1 & 2.

In other words, it looks like a pattern is starting to form.

Let’s move on to our next expert.

Expert Take #4: Erika Martinez, Psy.D

Next up we have a clinical psychologist located in Miami named Erika Martinez (hey that’s close to where I am.)

Anyways, here’s what Erika had to say to my inquiry,

Hi Chris:

I saw your query and thought I could be of some help. I’m a clinical psychologist in Miami, FL, and I love helping young professional millennials (early 20s to late 30s) get unstuck in love, work, and life.

Most of my clients are young professionals (late 20s to 30s) navigating the dating waters of Miami’s tough dating scene.

Does it mean anything when an ex boyfriend hugs their ex girlfriend?

It depends on the nature of the hug. If it’s a quick “nice to see you” hug, then it probably doesn’t mean anything. But if he lingers or prolongs the hug, then maybe he’s still got some feelings for you. Chances are there’s no spark left if it’s an awkward hug, though.

What is the possibility that the ex boyfriend still likes their ex girlfriend?

It’s a possibility. He liked her once before after all. But this really depends on how the relationship unfolded, how it ended, and if there was closure.

Are they just being friendly?

If they run in the same circles and coincide often, then yes, it is possible that he’s being cordial.

I like Erika’s take!

Want to know why?

It’s almost exactly the same as mine (and I tend to be biased towards myself.)

Good job Erika!

Ok, all kidding aside lets move on to expert 5.

Expert Take #5: Ms Hitch (World Renowned Relationship Expert)

I know what you are thinking,

It’s like the woman version of Hitch!

Pretty awesome, right?

You can find Ms Hitch here so make sure you check out her website and support everything she is doing 🙂 .

But what does she have to say about hugs?

From the top,

Does it mean anything when an ex boyfriend hugs their ex girlfriend?

“No, not at all. We have to stop thinking too far into things, that don’t even matter.”

What is the possibility that the ex boyfriend still likes their ex girlfriend?

“Liking” doesn’t mean Anything! Just because you like somebody does not mean you want to be with them. That is why they are an Ex and you didn’t try to make it work because you just “LIKE” them.”

Are they just being friendly?

“Yes, and what is wrong with just being friendly. That is what we are suppose to do as beings.”

So, it looks like Ms Hitch took a hard stance against a hug meaning anything.

Fascinating.

Now, before we start adding up all the opinions to see what the most common answer was lets hear from our last expert.

Expert Take #6: David Bennett (Certified Counselor)

Next up we have David Bennett.

David runs a very popular website called The Popular Man. However, what I found to be even more fascinating is that he runs it with his identical twin brother!

So, here is what David had to say about an ex hugging you and if it means anything.

When an ex hugs a girlfriend, it could mean a variety of things. The key is to observe the other body language associated with it. For example, how tight is the hug? Is it a simple and quick hug? If it simple, quick, and awkward, it is nothing romantic, and the boyfriend may view it as simply being nice.

However, if the hug lasts a while, and is the type of hug he gave back when the relationship was happy, then he may still like his ex-girlfriend. Ultimately, most exes want to stay away from their former partners, so any type of physical contact, especially a long hug, could be a sign he is still interested.

Fascinating…

David is a big believer in the body language associated with the hug.

Noted, kind sir!

Now let’s move on to the super fun part and consolidate all of the expert answers to see if a pattern emerges on what the collective group thinks about on if an ex hugging you means anything.

Consolidating The Expert Takes

There were a total of 6 experts who were kind enough to give me their opinion.

Now, the thing that I found really interesting is that each one of us had very similar, yet slightly different takes on an ex hugging you.

Chris Seiter (me): In order to determine if a hug from your ex means something you need to look at the context of the hug.

 

Karen J. Helfrich: Karen believed that the clarity of the hug was the most important thing to study. If a man makes a declaration of intent before he hugs you then that hug probably means something.

 

Davida Rappaport: Davida’s answer was pretty much a combination between my answer and Karen J. Helfrich’s.

 

Erika Martinez: I liked Erika’s answer because it was very similar to mine and like I said, I am a tad bit biased 😉 . However, I can also see a little bit of Karen and Davida’s answer wrapped up into hers (looks like we have a pattern begging to form.)

 

Ms Hitch: Ms Hitch decided to take a pretty hard line on if a hug means something between an ex. She flat out said no! So, Ms Hitch breaks from the overall pattern that we had developing. However, there is a lot of truth to the points she makes.

 

David Bennett: David had a really fascinating take I thought. He was all about the body language of the hug. Now, there were a few other experts who cited body language in their answers, namely me, Davida and Erika.

The goal here is to come up with a singular answer on if it means when an ex boyfriend hugs you.

Now, there are a lot of different ways to skin this cat but I think the easiest way is to look at all of the experts answers above and see which part of the answer was repeated the most amongst us.

So, give me a second as I wave my magic wand as I find out the answer

…….

……..

(waving wand)

……..

………

(Still waving)

…….

………..

Ok, there was one common theme amongst four of our six experts.

Body Language!

  • I made mention of body language in my answer
  • Davida briefly made mention of it in hers
  • Erika followed suit
  • And finally David’s entire answer was about body language.

So, according to the majority of our experts body language plays a gigantic role in determining if your ex boyfriends hug means anything.

How did the hug feel?

Was it warm and loving?

Was it cold and quick?

How long did the hug last for?

All of these things can give you insight into what a hug from your ex means!

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17 thoughts on “Does It Mean Anything When My Ex Boyfriend Hugs Me?”

  1. George donni

    August 30, 2019 at 12:46 am

    Caught GF hugging ex. She denied it ubtil I saw it on vidio. We vroke for a week..she pronised to never do it again. She not only did it again she did it right in front of me big lip smack kiss pelvic too pelvic hug her hand on his waist his on lower back. I left her

  2. Lhene

    February 21, 2019 at 3:12 am

    Hi. My ex boyfriend of 34 mos., hugged me twice on new year’s eve. I was shocked cause I thought he would just shake my hand. It feels awkward to people around us because everybody knows he already have a GF and now she’s pregnant but out of the blue he pulled me closer and hold me so tight (I’m still fascinated for what he have done) then the second time he hugged me when someone wants to take us a picture (only the two of us) he hold me again. It was funny to think that after a long years we’ve been separated that’s the first time he did that in front of all the people who know us (ex’s).
    Thanks!

    1. Chris Seiter

      February 21, 2019 at 3:17 am

      Hi Lhene!

      The future is always moving with possibilities!

  3. Cara

    April 22, 2017 at 4:05 pm

    Hi, I left a long message/question on here. Is it lost?

    1. Cara

      April 25, 2017 at 8:48 pm

      Thanks Amor! I will check out those articles.

    2. EBR Team Member: Amor

      April 29, 2017 at 9:46 pm

      You’re welcome!

    3. EBR Team Member: Amor

      April 25, 2017 at 4:27 pm

      I forwarded your blog suggestion to Chris before..thank you! Have you checked this one?
      The Six Ways To Know If You Are Close To Getting Your Ex Back?
      And this one:
      Warning Signs That Your Ex Boyfriend Wants YOU Back

  4. Cara

    April 18, 2017 at 5:46 pm

    Great article! I did some research on this too and found out that the body language and type of hug it is matters a lot!! For example, it matters if it is a quick side hug or full frontal hug. If someone pats you on the back when they hug you it subconsciously means they don’t trust you.
    Okay, so my question is how can I tell if my ex wants me back ( or is working his way to texting me again and communicating) since he apologized to me via text after 6 months of no contact. I know I have shared a lot of my situation before on here. Basically, 6 months ago I called him out on using our mutual friend to spy on me when we had not been dating. I got no reply . He didn’t know that the friend had lied to me and told me he asked her out a year prior while he and I were dating (because she was jealous) I know she made it up and have lots of evidence she made it up. But unbeknownst to him, he was using her to find out if I was dating or not. So she was being two faced to him and me.
    Anyhow, I called him out on him using her to spy on me and let him know she told me he asked her out.
    2 months after I called him out on it, I unfriended her on facebook and I’m sure he noticed as he monitors my facebook a lot.
    His apology came the day after Valentines day which also happened to be the 3 year anniversary of our first date. In the apology he basically, took the blame for what happened and said it was “important he contact me and apologize” Okay, I replied to him the next day and thanked him for the apology. I have gotten nothing from him since BUT the pattern is that he still heavily monitors my facebook and If I go online he quickly goes off right away. So how can I tell if he’s building up to wanting to get back together again? I Know it took a lot for him to admit he did something wrong. Either way, I see it as a step in the right direction. I mean even if he did want to get back together he’d have to apologize first anyway. A guy friend of mine says he likely wasn’t expecting a reply and doesn’t want to push his luck and that’s why he didn’t reply to me. But it’s interesting it took him 6 months to apologize. It’s like he found nothing better out there and decided he needs to make amends with me.

    What do I do now? Just wait this out? Does it seem like he may want me back?
    Also, can Chris do an article on what it means if your ex apologizes to you?

    1. EBR Team Member: Amor

      April 25, 2017 at 4:27 pm

      I forwarded your blog suggestion to Chris before..thank you! Have you checked this one?
      The Six Ways To Know If You Are Close To Getting Your Ex Back?
      And this one:
      Warning Signs That Your Ex Boyfriend Wants YOU Back

  5. Mayako

    April 17, 2017 at 4:00 pm

    Okay!
    I will not contact him first for 2 weeks! But after those two weeks, should I just try to text him again? What if he still won’t text me first after that?

    I’m always the one talking first and asking to meet up or something. I do think he likes me, but because he never contacts me first, I’m actually not 100% sure!

    A friend of mine told me just to never contact him again and see how long it takes him to notice I’m not there anymore, but that could take months or maybe even never! I think that would be kinda a stupid idea, because I want him back, ofcourse!

    1. EBR Team Member: Amor

      April 22, 2017 at 3:35 pm

      Don’t ask for a meet up as a first contact text..just talk.. If he doesn’t answer, then that’s when you move on

  6. Mayako

    April 16, 2017 at 11:39 am

    Thank you for your reply!
    I will do that!

    However, what should I do if he still doesn’t contact me first? He just had too much pride. I think he’s one of those people who think that you can’t get back together with an ex. How do I prove him wrong?

    I have not made contact with him for 1,5 week now. I just find it weird he doesn’t contact me first, what could hold him back?
    A friend of mine said I should move on, because he never makes a move. But when we’re together, we have a good time, so I don’t know..

    1. EBR Team Member: Amor

      April 16, 2017 at 4:28 pm

      If the last week is not really active restart the count for your two week break..it’s ok to initiate again..just take control of the conversation and don’t stopnp being active

  7. Hopeful

    April 15, 2017 at 1:47 am

    Thank you so much for writing this article. I’m in the middle of doing NC right now but this has been on my mind a lot (even thought it’s in the past and I’m trying my best to move forward with my life).

    The part where it’s different for me is that I haven’t seen my ex since the break up, but when he came over to break up with me, the first thing he did was hug me. He pulled me into this long, tight hug before he said we needed to talk. I’ve been a bit curious about it because I didn’t know what to make of that. He did drive over an hour and a each way to break up with me in person, and the hug lasted for a while and was very tight and even felt emotional. We’d almost been together for thirteen months. I’m aware things are probably different now, but I’m curious: do you think those are things a guy does when he’s just being polite? Or do you think it was because he cared?

    1. EBR Team Member: Amor

      April 16, 2017 at 8:08 am

      I think it’s because he is breaking up with you.. It’s like a goodbye hug.

  8. Mayako

    April 14, 2017 at 12:08 pm

    Hi everyone!

    So I have an ex-boyfriend. (Duh) and we’ve been broken up for 3 months now. After the break up I did a 30 days NC and texted him first! We even met up two times!

    When my boyfriend broke up with me, he did say he wanted to stay friends. (However, I only agreed so we had a excuse to hang sometimes!)

    Last time we met up, I asked him about us and if he wanted to try again. He said: “Not yet.” And that’s mostly his awnser to anything. He doesn’t say no. He always says: “Not yet.” That’s how he’s keeping me hooked.

    However, he says he wants to be friends, but in these 3 months he NEVER contacted me first; EVER! I think he really wants to get back together again, last time I left he hugged me so tight I couldn’t even pull away from him. He’s a reallt sweet guy and the break-up wasn’t a nasty one. Like I said, I think he wants me back too, but he never contacts me first.. Because I think his pride and some friends are holding him back? He’s a guy with alot of pride! How can I tear down his pride and should I do a second NC (45 days) to give him some more time?

    Thanks in advance!

    1. EBR Team Member: Amor

      April 16, 2017 at 10:38 am

      hes stringing you along.. you have to be less available while continuing to build rapport..you can reply but stop initiating for 2 weeks and go out on dates