19 Types of Hugs From a Girl & How to Read What She Feels For You (2024)

Can you decipher what a woman feels about you by the way she hugs you? What do these 19 types of hugs from a girl really mean?

Hugging is a standard greeting and expression of warmth and a meaningful sign showing you care about someone. There’s a thin line between platonic hugs of greeting and something more. But there are many types of hugs from a girl, and they all mean something a little bit different.

As if life and relationships could get any more complicated, consider the hug. What’s with that? Just a little more *or less* pressure, and it means something else.

When you hug and touch the other person in a particular place, it can mean something different than when you hug and just avoid touching the other person anywhere. It can be confusing, especially on the part of the receiver.

So, whether you like a girl or to, what does a hug from her even mean?

[Read: Romantic hug vs Friendly hug and how to feel the difference instantly!]

Hugs from a girl you like

You hug your grandmother. You hug your baby niece, and you even hug your dog or your pillow. But, a hug from a girl *especially one you like* is something totally different.

Is she trying to comfort you? Is she just saying hello? Maybe she thinks of you as a brother? Or perhaps she likes you. How do you figure out which it is?

Hugs can be intense and passionate, like a kiss. They can be awkward and sweaty too. But, they always mean something, especially when you like her. You like her, so you want to know how she intends this hug to come across.

Asking her seems awkward, so you need to be able to figure out the types of hugs from a girl on your own. [Read: How to turn a girl on with your touch and make her melt into you]

The most common types of hugs from a girl and what each hug means

When it comes to the types of hugs from a girl, the deed takes on a whole new level of complication, leaving you confused, flabbergasted, and pleased, more or less all at the same time.

This is because girls can be cryptic, and they can use their charms—and arms—to get what they want or tell you they don’t want you. Here are the different types of hugs from a girl to help you figure out just what the hell they’re up to. [Read: 10 clear signs you should back off when you’re pursuing a girl]

1. The proper and polite hug

This is a hug for hug’s sake only. In other words, for the sake of social etiquette. It’s the kind of hug in which she may act like she’s hugging you but without touching you—like you have some kind of disease.

This can be offensive if not for the accompanying “polite smile.” If you’re out on a date with her, and she gives you this hug, it means she’s not into you and perhaps will not want to go out with you again but is trying her best to be polite. [Read: 17 sad but true signs she’s not that into you and never will be]

2. The quickie hug

This hug happens when you catch each other in the street or somewhere public, and she’s in a hurry. This type of hug from a girl is for acknowledgment’s sake.

No matter how quick it is, it means one thing—she is happy to see you but is genuinely in a hurry to head somewhere else.

In some cases, it can also mean something else, especially in a situation where she’s not really in a hurry but just wants to get the hug over with. She may come close to you, touch shoulders, avoid eye contact, and just head on her way, pretending to be in a hurry.

She may have been avoiding you, but you came up to her. So instead of being rude, she gives you a quickie hug. Read the other social cues to see what this type of hug from a girl means.

3. The buddy hug

This is one warm hug you don’t mind getting from her, just like all the other crumbs of attention she throws your way. It’s when she wraps her arms around you and pats you on the back.

It’s warm, friendly, and nice—except you would rather hug her in a different, more romantic way. Well, tough luck, chap. If she gives you this, then she thinks of you as a friend and nothing more. [Read: 18 signs you’re clearly in a girl’s friend zone]

4. The bear hug

You know when you’re so close and comfortable with each other, you can do just about anything without being self-conscious? This is that, in hug form.

She doesn’t care if the hug messes with her outfit or her hair. She’ll run to you with arms wide open and then hug you tightly.

Good news: she missed you and is happy to see you. Bad news: she most likely just sees you as a dear friend. *But surely, it’s better than nothing, right?* [Read: 13 naughty ways to get out of a girl’s friend zone in no time]

5. The sleepy shoulder hug

This is not one of the common types of hugs from a girl. This only happens when she feels safe around you. This sweet hug is when she wraps her arms around you and rests her head on your shoulder for a while.

If you just met her, you’re in luck because she feels comfortable around you already. If you’ve been seeing her for a while, you’re in luck too.

There really is nothing wrong with this kind of hug—unless this is all the hug she gives, then it just means she sees you only as a shoulder to lean on, literally, and nothing more.

Also, watch out if she pushes back when you try to pull her closer. It really just puts you back into that all-too-familiar friend zone. [Read: Every girl’s weakness – What she wants and how to become it]

6. The one-sided hug

Perhaps the most awkward of all hugs, the one-sided, unreciprocated hug, is when you hug her, and she lets you, but her arms are limp on her sides, with her body becoming stiff.

If she gives you this at the end of the first date, don’t expect a second one or even a text letting you down easy.

If you already know her and she gives you this, you better think about what you may have done to upset her or turn her off because this type of hug from a girl isn’t even a hug.

7. The squeezing hug

This is a simple-to-decode kind of hug. If she hugs you with one or both arms with that extra squeeze and lovely smile, you know she had fun, and whatever it is she had with you, you can expect she’d want to do it again. It’s not much of a passionate or romantic kind of hug, but at least it’s a good sign. [Read: It’s an ideal perfect date! 16 things every girl hopes and expects to see on a date]

8. The snuggly hug

This type of hug from a girl is more like a cuddle. You can expect this from a girl who likes you and feels comfortable and safe around you. This often happens when the two of you are sitting side to side, whether in the movies, on the couch, or just about anywhere.

This means she likes being around you. At this point, especially if the two of you are alone, you better watch out for other signs telling you you’re going to get some nookie tonight. [Read: 7 subtle signs a girl gives away if she wants to sleep with you]

9. The lingering hug

Now, this is a very subtle hug that only the most highly aware can detect. This hug is when she wraps one or two arms around you, and she has her hand on your back, pulling you in.

She’ll hold that hug for just a few extra milliseconds—just a tad bit longer than the standard three-second hugging rule. Usually, this is her way of letting you know she has a thing for you. Just watch for her facial expression afterward to know for sure.

10. The side-by-side hug

This is perhaps one of the sweetest hugs she can give. It’s like the snuggly hug, except you are usually walking side by side.

She will wrap her arms around your waist or an arm around your arm. This means she likes you or she’s comfortable around you. In fact, so much that she wants to stay close to you wherever you guys go. It’s also a way for her to tell the world, “This guy is mine.” [Read: 26 subtle, flirty signs she wants you to make a move and ask her out]

11. The boob hug

While the lingering hug is subtle, this one is not. It’s the somewhat more daring cousin of the lingering hug, and it only means one thing: I want you! [Read: 13 lusty signs of sexual attraction you need to keep an eye on]

Here, she will hug you with one or both arms, but what you should watch out for how she intentionally presses her breasts against you to make sure you feel them. She may even follow it up with a lazy, sexy smile and a wink. If that’s the case, you’re one lucky lad!

12. The back hug

This hug can mean quite a few things. This type of hug from a girl can mean she sees you as a big brother.

If she runs up behind you and hugs you from behind, she is playful. But if you’re sitting down and she hugs you from behind and pulls you down, she wants to be closer to you, which can be a sign of intense intimacy.

13. The straddle hug

The straddle hug can also be thought of as a full-body hug. You are hugging with your legs and arms intertwined. This means not just your chests are touching, but so are your privates. You are pretty much braided together with your body parts. This is a hug for couples.

And not all couples will huge like this. This is a hug from a girl after a long day, a baby day, or just when one of you needs some comfort. [Read: 25 ways to emotionally connect with someone and instantly feel closer]

14. The eye to eye hug

This type of hug from a girl is like a dance. Her arms are around your neck, and your hands are on her waist. You may not be dancing, but you are looking into each other’s eyes. This huge is often followed by a kiss or the follow-up to one.

There is a simple and sweet romance to this hug as it isn’t too physical or passionate but carries a lot of emotions with such close proximity without touching too much.

15. The pocket hug

The pocket hug is a flirty hug. It is when one of you puts your hand in the other’s back pocket and pulls you in. It is funny and cute.

This type of hug from a girl usually happens in public. It is a great subtle way to be playful and sexy without drawing unwanted attention.

16. The cuddle hug

The cuddle hug is more than leaning your head on someone’s shoulder. It is emotional and even heavy. It can come with crying or deep breathing and is tight and comforting.

This hug can last minutes to hours. You can talk or be silent. It is in private when you are just together. This will only be a romantic hug, even if a relationship is ending. There is so much feeling with this type of hug from a girl.

17. The pick up and spin hug

This is the hug you commonly see in the movies. It usually happens when you and the girl haven’t seen each other for a while.

She will run and jump into your arms as you spin her around. It is playful and sweet but not always romantic. It takes a touch of trust to know you won’t drop her, but that can come through friendship and family too. [Read: How to be more playful and flirty and open up to the people you like]

18. The awkward hug

The awkward hug is the one you cringe at when the person walks away. When she gives you an awkward hug, it isn’t about nerves but just weirdness. Maybe she is holding stuff, maybe you are, but even if you are both free to hug normally. it feels weird no matter the layout.

This could be a hug when you run into your ex or an old friend. This is the hug you think about afterward for a while. You wonder why it was weird and are happy it is over.

19. The pat on the back hug

This hug from a girl is one step up from a headshake. It is the hug your female boss gives you before the holiday break. It is the hug you get from your friends after your team wins the championship.

This hug is not romantic at all. If you get this hug from a girl, your boss, your aunt, or a random lady you helped into her car.

So, all in all, the types of hugs from a girl can tell you a lot about what she thinks of you and whether she wants to take your relationship to another level.

A hug can be the most wonderful way to get physically close to her, whether you are just friends or are dating. A hug can provide you with clues about your relationship with her.

[Read: 28 turn-ons for girls that’ll make them melt in your arms]

Reading these types of hugs from a girl can help you decode those signals and take out all the guesswork about their body language. By knowing what they really mean with their hugs, you can know when you really have your game on or if it’s really game over for you.