When a man kisses, it might not always be to express his feelings or emotions. Different men kiss due to different reasons and assuming things would only hurt you if he doesn’t feel the same. So, what exactly does kissing mean to a man?
To a man, kissing means sending a signal that he wants to get intimate. He might be in love, or it may be purely out of lust, but it means he is ready to take the next step. But if it’s a silly mistake when drunk or not on your lips (platonic) it’s usually a sign of affection and means nothing.
Having a rough idea about why he kissed always helps as it will allow you to study the situation closely. Below, we’ll dive deep into the details of what and what not a kiss might mean to a man.
Meaning Of Kissing For A Man
Discussed below are some of the most commonly observed reasons for what kissing means to men.
All of them might not be true for the man in your life, but it has to be one or some of these.
Attaching unnecessary or incorrect meanings to his kiss will only complicate things between you.
1. Kissing Out Of Love And Attraction
The most commonly seen reason is men in love initiating a passionate kiss.
When they realize they are attracted to someone, they try to build upon the tension for intimacy.
Going in for the kiss is the final step before being physically intimate.
So, his kiss might mean that he is in love with you or at least attracted enough to take such a big risk.
2. A Drunken Kiss
A man might kiss you at a party or a get-together when he is drunk. Alcohol removes inhibitions, and going in for the kiss feels less scary.
He might have some feelings for you, or it may be him being silly. But chances are, he will deny the kiss tomorrow and attribute it to “the liquor made me do it.”
A person, when drunk, might kiss anyone without any feelings involved and forget all about it tomorrow.
3. A Friendly Greeting Or Goodbye
Sometimes we might kiss a friend on the cheek or at any place on their face (except on the lips) in a friendly manner to say hello or while parting ways.
Thus, the kiss could only mean something friendly and playful and may not be related to romance or intimacy in any way.
The same could be said to be true about kissing someone on the hand, which is usually a courteous gesture in many cultures.
4. To Bed You Down
Sometimes a man might kiss you because of purely physical intentions.
Irrespective of whether or not he is in love with you or wants something more than a hookup, kissing you would be a means to break the physical barrier.
You should assess his real intentions from his behavior over what you know about him beforehand.
Kissing you the night he saw you at a party can in no way mean ‘love at first sight’ even if he swears by it!
5. Public Display Of Affection
Many people like to engage in a public display of affection (PDA) with a special someone.
Kissing you could also mean that the man is trying to display his affection toward you in public. Why?
Because he wants the world to know that you are with him. He won’t hesitate to show everyone that he is quite protective.
Show off much? Yes, but cute in its own way for some!
By kissing you in public, he might even be trying to establish a greater comfort level as most people feel awkward while indulging in PDA.
But if two people kiss in public, it is a sign of great mutual comfort.
6. A Mistake Not Meant To Be!
Sometimes there would be situations when a man would regret or feel awkward after kissing you.
This could be due to a plethora of reasons like the kiss not feeling how he imagined it, you pulling away, bad technique, you having bad breath, etc.
Often, he may not even anticipate what it would be like to kiss you, but it turns into something awkward rather than romantic or passionate when it does happen.
The kiss itself, or rather the decision to go for it, means it was a big mistake on his part!
7. A Kiss Out Of Curiosity
Sometimes the man is just super curious about what kissing you would feel like, especially if it is his first kiss.
Further, it could also be to see how you would respond to it.
Thus kissing you is a potent way to judge what you feel about him and whether something more than just being friends is possible?
Irrespective of how you react, he would at least be getting definite answers that are impossible to gauge unless he goes for the kiss.
Doing so leaves no room for confusion and provides some much-needed clarity.
8. The Heat Of The Moment Kiss
Sometimes the urge to kiss can take over strongly even if no alcohol is involved.
This could be seen as kissing you in the heat of the moment without any relation to whether the guy found you attractive beforehand or not.
He just felt like kissing you, and he did without giving much thought to it. Even after kissing you, he may or may not feel anything about you.
This is where it becomes even more important not to derive unnecessary meanings and make a mountain out of a molehill.
9. A Courteous Gesture
The guy might not limit himself to just kissing you on the lips.
For example, if he kisses your hand, it means he might be trying to impress you with some cultural etiquette.
It could also mean that the gesture doesn’t feel odd to him as he was just being courteous. Whether it feels charming or silly is a completely different issue.
If he is romantically interested in you, a kiss on that hand means that he wants to take things slow and steady with a pinch of flirting.
Not all guys have the courage to go straight for the lips, and this is the shy guy’s way of breaking the touch boundary.
10. An Act Of Pure Affection
For a man, kissing might not always mean intimacy, love, or attraction. Sometimes it simply means that he cares about you and respects you.
The kiss then simply becomes an act of respect and affection. The most common example is the forehead kiss.
A kiss on the forehead means that he adores you and cares about you in a cute way, and may not be because of love, lust, or attraction.
It might develop into those things later, though! Thus, the kiss can be both friendly and romantic.
11. It’s Not About You
Kiss virgins might kiss someone to just get the feel of what it is like to kiss someone. Remember, this kiss has nothing to do with you.
It simply means that he wanted to try it out and get over it.
Peer pressure and bullying often make young guys go in for the kiss just so that they can proudly claim that they have kissed someone and aren’t the proverbial noobs.
12. The Polite Reciprocation
In certain situations, it is highly possible that the kiss was simply him being polite, especially if the other person initiates it.
This sort of kiss would mean absolutely nothing to him as he might not want to be kissed by the person who initiated it.
He might not pull away just to avoid being rude, but it in no way means he is enjoying it.
There would be zero release of euphoric chemicals like oxytocin, dopamine, serotonin, etc. He’d want the kiss to be over as soon as possible.
Conclusion
Clearly, kissing and its meaning can differ from one man to another.
Though it depends upon the situation and how he feels about you, it usually comes from a place of love, affection, care, intimacy, adoration, or appreciation.
Men in different situations have a myriad of reactions and feelings regarding physical intimacy, and it is not very difficult to detect what they might mean or feel about it.
From being friendly, affectionate, and showing care to initiating intimacy, greeting someone, or simply feeling lustful, you now have a fair idea about what kissing means to a man.