33 Great Ways to Respond to a Pickup Line

We’ve all heard cheesy pickup lines. While these rehearsed one-liners tend to make us roll our eyes, they can also be irritatingly charming, depending on who is saying them.

How you respond to a pickup line will depend on whether you are intrigued enough to want to keep the conversation going. 

Even if you do like the person who has approached you, don’t be afraid to give them a hard time about their choice of opening line. After all, a little teasing goes a long way towards establishing good rapport. 

 

How to Respond to a pickup line

 

1. I bet you say that to all the girls. 
   
2. Does that ever work? 
   
3. I can’t believe you led with that. 
   
4. Did you really just say that to me?
   
5. I didn’t know people actually said things like that in real life. 
   
6. Oh, come on, that’s the oldest line in the book. 
   
7. Feel my shirt? That’s girlfriend material.
   
8. Let’s try this again. Walk over there and then approach me again, exactly the way you did, minus the pickup line. 
   
9. Is that the best you’ve got? 
   
10. Did you come up with that all by yourself? 
    
11. No. 
    
12. Sorry, could you repeat that? 
    
13. Sorry, I’m lactose intolerant and that line was pure cheese. 
    
14. What did you say? I couldn’t hear you because my cringe-o-meter was making so much noise. 
    
15. I wouldn’t even have gone for that if you looked like Ryan Gosling. 
    
16. Are you a red light? Because I really want this to stop. 
    
17. Is this really how you speak to strangers?
    
18. I think I just died a little inside. 
    
19. That is so not cute. Why not just come up and say hi like a normal person? Next time you are interested in talking to a girl, try just politely introducing yourself.
    
20. Oh, no, that is so cringey. 
    
21. Are you fifteen years old? I don’t know anyone above that age who still uses pickup lines. 
    
22. Ring, ring. Hello? Oh, it’s the early 90s. They want their cringey one-liners back. 
    
23. You must not think very highly of me if you think I’d fall for a line like that. 
    
24. Sorry, that’s not going to work. I’m laughing on the inside though.
    
25. Okay, that was actually kind of funny. Unfortunately, I’m not interested. 
    
26. Sorry, I’m taken. Better luck next time. 
    
27. Sorry, I’m here to catch up with friends. I appreciate the effort though! 

 

How to respond to specific pickup lines: 

 

28. A: Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?

       B: No, but it will hurt when I turn you down. 

 

29. A: Can I have your name? 

       B: Don’t you already have one? 

 

30. A: Girl, are you a parking ticket? Because you are fine. 

       B: Yes, fine alone. 

 

31. A: If I could rearrange the alphabet, I’d put U and I together. 

       B: I think it’s good the way it is, with N and O next to each other. 

 

32. A: Are you a bank loan? Because you have my interest. 

       B: That depends what kind of assets you have. 

 

33. A: Are you a time traveler? Because I see you in my future.

       B: Are you the moon? Because I need you 238,000 miles away from me.

 

How to respond to a pickup line from someone you are interested in

 

This is a good line to say if you want to keep speaking to the person who approached you. 

By saying this, you’re immediately putting them on the defensive. They will have to try to convince you that they are especially interested in you. 

If nothing else, you are sure to witness an entertaining performance!

 

If you want to keep the conversation going, ask your admirer a question. If they’ve just told you an eye-roll-worthy pickup line, why not ask them if it ever works?  

 

While you may want to keep talking to the person that has approached you, that doesn’t mean you have to keep flirting in a cheesy manner. 

Instead, bring the conversation back down to earth and let them know exactly what you think of their opening line. 

 

Why not just cut the silliness right away. 

If you want to have a conversation with the person flirting with you, but want to establish that you aren’t interested in immature one-liners, why not disbelievingly ask if they really just said what they did. 

This is sure to sober them up, make them feel a little embarrassed and let them understand that they’re going to have to step up their game if they want a chance with you. 

 

Most people appreciate a straightforward approach. 

Treat your admirer like a fascinating anthropological subject and let them know you weren’t aware people really approached strangers with pickup lines. They will be sure to get more serious quickly and will want to prove to you that they are more than just some cheesy guy. 

Hopefully, this will allow you to engage in a more thought-provoking and interesting conversation. 

 

Don’t be afraid to call a pickup-line user out. They know they’re being corny, so they won’t be offended if you tell them as much. 

Tell them what they have said is the oldest line in the book. If you do so with a smile on your face, they will know you are teasing them and want to keep chatting. 

 

It’s possible that you enjoy a bit of cringey banter yourself. If so, why not respond to their pickup line with a pickup line of your own! 

If they approach you and ask you whether you are from Tennessee, because you are “the only ten I see,” simply respond with your own cliché line. 

Hold out a sleeve of your shirt and have them feel it while telling them it is girlfriend material. They’re sure to appreciate that you are receptive to their advances and that you can banter back on the same level. 

 

If you think someone who has approached you with a pickup line is cute, but can’t get your head around responding to what they’ve actually said, tell them you want to start over, without the pickup line this time. 

They won’t be offended. If anything, they’ll just be happy that you want to keep chatting.  

 

While this line makes it clear that you weren’t impressed by the pickup line you just heard, it also leaves room for them to propose something better, which means the conversation will continue. 

However, beware that if you use this line, you may be in for hearing a whole lot more pickup lines!

 

This teasing line is a play on the way adults ask children if they have done something all by themselves. 

For example, if a child draws a tree their parent may say, “did you do that all by yourself?” 

The implication here is that they should be embarrassed to appear proud of saying something that is so child-like and immature. 

However, if you say this with a smile on your face, your suitor will surely know that you are just giving them a hard time.

 

How to respond to a pickup line if you want to be left alone

While pickup lines can sometimes be charming, at other times they are just downright unwelcome. 

If you don’t want to talk to someone who is trying to chat you up, don’t be afraid to give back as good as you got before ending the conversation. 

 

This is literally the most no-nonsense response you can give to a pickup line. If someone has walked up to you in a bar and told you a cheesy pickup line, or if they have sent you one in a message, you can simply respond with the word, “No.” 

Don’t worry, they will get the message. 

 

If you aren’t interested in someone, but want to playfully embarrass them a little, why not ask them to repeat what they have said. 

Pickup lines only work if they make the speaker seem suave, so asking him to repeat himself multiple times will ruin the intended effect of the line. 

Don’t be rude about it, but there is nothing wrong with poking a little fun at someone who has tried to use a pickup line on you. 

 

If you want to respond with a funny quip, why not joke that you are lactose intolerant and that what they have said was incredibly cheesy. 

If you prove that you can be just as humorous as the person trying to chat you up, they will respect your approach and will appreciatively leave you alone. 

 

People who use pickup lines are aware that they are being a little immature and ridiculous, which means they tend to have a good sense of humor. 

Use this to your advantage and make a joke about you couldn’t hear them over the noise of your cringe-o-meter. 

 

To express just how poor you thought someone’s pickup line was, tell them you wouldn’t even have gone for it if they looked like a very attractive celebrity. 

They’ll get the message that you’re not interested, and they may just give you a smile to acknowledge your clever response. 

 

This anti-pickup-line is the perfect way to use your suitor’s way of speaking to express that you want the conversation to end. 

This response keeps things light-hearted while making your intentions perfectly clear. 

 

This response is straight-to-the-point and funny. You are letting the person hitting on you know how unimpressed you were by their approach. 

 

If someone comes up to you and tries to pick you up with a particularly stupid, cringey, or inappropriate chat-up line, you could let them know that it was so bad it has killed something in your soul. 

They will be sure to rethink their approach next time. 

 

If you aren’t into someone and they come up to you and crassly tell you a pickup line, tell it to them like it is. 

If you inform them their behavior isn’t cute and that you think they should just introduce themselves like an adult, they may well listen to your counsel. 

Who knows, your valuable feedback may just help them meet the one!

 

This response means exactly what it sounds like. You are letting your admirer know that a line like the one they used is unlikely to get them very far with anyone. 

 

This anti-pickup-line will appropriately embarrass the person you’re speaking to. It really is a little immature to use pickup lines and most adults don’t appreciate being approached in such a juvenile manner. 

Using this response is just giving your admirer some necessary, honest feedback. 

 

To reject someone good-humoredly, why not respond with a similarly immature old trope.

Pretend someone is calling you, and then tell your admirer it’s the early 90s and they want their cringey one-liners back.  

This objectively funny response will surely elicit a smile from your failed suitor. They will leave appreciating that you give as good as you get. 

 

How to respond to a pickup line if you want to let someone down gently 

If you aren’t interested in the person who is trying to pick you up but nevertheless appreciate the effort it took to approach you, let them down easily! 

The best way to do this is of course to send them away politely, with a smile on your face. But just because you don’t want to discourage them doesn’t mean you can’t also poke a little fun at them. 

 

This funny response clears up that you are not falling for their line, while also keeping your tone friendly. 

By implying that they don’t think very highly of you, you are putting them on the back foot and making them have to defend themselves. This will surely elicit an amusing defense from your wanna-be-charmer. 

 

Saying you’re laughing on the inside lets the person you’re speaking to know that you do appreciate their line, but not quite enough for it to work. 

They will retreat unoffended, and you can continue with your evening. 

 

It may be that someone you aren’t interested in approaches with you a laugh-out-loud pickup line. I mean, let’s be honest, some of these chat-up lines are really chuckle-worthy. 

If this happens, let them know you appreciate the joke but that you aren’t interested in them. 

 

Of course, warding off unwanted advances is easy if you have a partner. Just let the person know that you aren’t single. They will direct their advances elsewhere. 

Wishing them better luck next times tells them that you don’t harbor any resentment about their failed attempt to pick you up. 

 

Politely turn someone down by telling them you are here to socialize with your friends, not to meet someone. 

If you think their approach was respectful and funny, let them know that you appreciated the effort. This will encourage them to approach other people in the future. 

 

How to respond to specific pickup lines 

Some pickup lines are used so often that it is useful to have a quick, witty response up your sleeve in case they are used on you. 

Here are some suggestions for clever responses to some of the most common pickup lines. 

28.

 

This pickup line is used to imply that person being approached must be an angel because they are so beautiful. 

A great anti-pickup-line to use if someone asks you if it hurt when you fell from heaven, is to turn the line around on the person saying it. 

Telling them it will hurt when you turn them down takes their joke about something hurting and turns it on its head. You will be sure to get at least an appreciative chuckle if you use this response. 

29.

When someone asks if they can have your name, they are of course asking what you are called. 

If you don’t want to tell them your name, or if you just want to have a little fun with them before you do, why not respond with a funny quip that plays on the two meanings of the verb “have.” 

By pretending to think that they want to have your name, as in take it and use it as their own, you are introducing a comical element to the conversation. 

And, if you don’t want to talk to them, you are expertly avoiding having to introduce yourself. 

30.

Ah, the old parking ticket pickup line. One good way to respond to this one if you aren’t interested in talking to the person who has approached you, is to play with the word “fine.” 

Of course, in the original pickup line is a pun that brings together one meaning of fine, as in a fee you have to pay as punishment, with another meaning of fine, namely very beautiful. 

By using “fine” to mean “okay,” you are cleverly letting them know that you are okay on your own and do not need their company. 

31.

 

This cheesy pickup line has gotten so much use that it should really be put out to pasture. 

Fortunately, there is an excellent anti-pickup-line response, which continues with the alphabet theme. 

The response asserts that no change to the alphabet is needed since the well-known sequence of letters contains the word “no,” which also happens to be your answer to going out with them. 

32.

If you think you might be interested in getting to know someone better and they approach you with this pickup line, you can give the flirty response that it depends on what their assets are like. 

This will surely make the conversation continue and will allow you to get to know your suitor better. 

33.

Another old favorite pickup line is the time traveler one. 

This moon response is a good one to use to answer back to any number of pickup lines. 

It is an anti-pickup-line that uses the format of the pickup line but conveys the opposite message.