29 Ways to Respond to a Dry Text from a Guy

Just because a guy you like sends you a dry or short message doesn’t mean he isn’t interested in getting to know you better. 

Some people fill their messages with gifs, heart emojis, and question marks, while other people seem to be allergic to the emoji keyboard.

But this says much more about their communication style than it does about whether they like the person they’re texting. 

If you have just struck up a connection with a guy whose texts leave you wondering what on earth you could respond to keep the conversation going, then this article is for you. 

Your guy might be worried about coming across too keen and so is playing his interest down, or else he might just genuinely thinks his one-word responses are the most natural way to answer your questions. 

Whatever the reason for the lack of energy he’s displaying in your inbox, this list of possible responses to dry texts from a guy will help you crack his tough exterior and get him to open up more. 

 

29 ways to respond to a dry text from a guy

1. Are you always this talkative? 
   
2. I take it you aren’t big on small talk, then? 
   
3. If we go on a date, are you going to ask me any questions back? 
   
4. Stop writing so much so quickly, I can hardly keep up 😅 
   
5. If we were having this conversation in person, this would be the point at which I would start commenting on the weather…
   
6. Cat got your digital tongue? 
   
7. Do you not like texting? 
   
8. Is this a Halloween movie? Because I feel like you’re about to turn into a ghost. 
   
9. I can’t tell if you’re mysterious or boring…convince me you’re mysterious?
   
10. So, are you the strong type, too? Because you’re definitely the silent type…
    
11. Tell me what you think about this dating app in three sentences.
12. What’s your least favorite thing about dating apps? 
    
13. Let’s each tell each other three assumptions we have about each other based on the other person’s profile…?  
    
14. Do you think it’s easier or harder for people our age to make romantic connections than it was fifty years ago? 
    
15. It seems like you aren’t on your phone that often, which I really respect. I’m a lot like that myself. 
    
16. Do you want to play kiss, marry, kill…with vegetables?
    
17. Tell me an unpopular opinion you have, and I’ll debate it with you. Winner pays for dinner. You in? 
    
18. If you had a mid-life crisis, what would it look like?
    
19. If you had to label yourself politically, how would you describe yourself?
    
20. What do you think about people who meet on dating apps but then make up a story about how they met IRL…yay or nay? 
    
21. Are you an instant-connection type of guy, or a let-it-build-slowly-over-time kind of dater?
    
22. I’m struggling to have interesting conversations dating apps. What has your experience been like? 
    
23. Can I give you a quickfire compatibility quiz? 
    
24. I honestly can’t tell whether you are interested in me because you always send such short, dry responses. Care to enlighten me?
    
25. You’re very hard to read. 
    
26. So, this is going to sound forward, but I’m not really interested in having a virtual pen-pal. Are you interested in going for a date sometime? 
    
27. …are you interested in getting to know me better? Or would you rather call it quits now before anyone gets hurt?
    
28. So, can I get a bit of clarity about how you feel about me? 
    
29. Earth to James? Earth to James?

 

Funny ways to respond to a dry text from a guy 

If a guy is almost stubbornly refusing to say much of anything, you can comment on his short responses and lack of engagement by teasing him or making a joke. 

After all, what is the point in sitting on your phone texting back and forth with someone who doesn’t seem to be enjoying the conversation.

You could also always tell him something nice about himself. Guys like responding to a compliment from a girl, if only because they get a nice ego boost out of it. If nothing else, you’ll probably get an enthused response. 

That said, the best way to approach a guy who is giving you curt or brief responses is to make light of them.

Here are a few ways you might try to provoke him into responding to texts with more than just a few words. 

 

1. Are you always this talkative? 

This is a funny way to comment on a guy’s dry, short responses without seeming offended. 

By showing that you aren’t easily fazed, you’ll eliminate any illusions he has that he is playing an effective game by playing hard to get. 

This response, even though it isn’t too serious, will get the message across that you won’t wait around forever, and that you aren’t willing to compromise when it comes to getting the attention you need.  

 

2. I take it you aren’t big on small talk, then? 

This is another good way to draw attention to the fact that the guy you’re texting isn’t showing you much enthusiasm. 

By telling him that you’ve noticed his haphazard participation, you’re giving him another chance to up his game while also indicating that you are too much of a catch to tolerate having to convince someone to date you. 

 

3. If we go on a date, are you going to ask me any questions back? 

This is a funny way to point out that since he isn’t asking you any questions over text, you have no reason to assume he’d be any different in person. 

You’re letting him know that if he wants to prove to you that he knows how not to be awkward on a date, he’ll have to become more chatty over text. 

 

4. Stop writing so much so quickly, I can hardly keep up 😅

This is a funny way to call someone out for not writing much and for taking a lot of time to respond between texts. 

 

5. If we were having this conversation in person, this would be the point at which I would start commenting on the weather…

It’s a well-known fact that people begin to comment on the weather when the conversation they’re having is dying a slow and painful death. 

By saying this, you’re letting the guy you’re texting know that the conversation you’re having isn’t interesting for you at all and that he will have to step up to the plate and deliver a homerun of a question sometime soon if he wants to avoid being thrown out (of your contacts, that is).  

 

6. Cat got your digital tongue? 

This is a funny variation of the idiom, “Cat got your tongue?”, which is used to point out that someone is being silent. 

It is a nod to the ancient rulers who used to cut out their subjects’ tongues as a form of punishment—a brutal and absolutely barmy punishment from history.

Adding “digital” in before “tongue” modernizes the saying and makes it the perfect way to poke fun at the quiet, dry-humored guy you’re texting. 

 

7. Do you not like texting? 

You can also just come out and ask the guy you’re talking to if he doesn’t like texting. 

If he doesn’t, this is a great opportunity for him to let you know that he would prefer phone calls or just getting to know you in person, but that his lack of interest in texting is not a lack of interest in you. 

 

8. Is this a Halloween movie? Because I feel like you’re about to turn into a ghost. 

If a guy’s texts are so dry they are literally drying up, you could text him this message to let him know that you are on to him and that you suspect he is about to ghost you. 

This response that calls him out on his bad behavior will encourage him to stop ghosting and start saying no when he isn’t into someone. 

 

9. I can’t tell if you’re mysterious or boring…convince me you’re mysterious?

Now, this might sound a little harsh when you first read it, but it’s a good way to let a guy who is giving you about 25 percent of his attention on a good day know how you feel about his lack of energy. 

 

10. So, are you the strong type, too? Because you’re definitely the silent type…

This is a witty play on the phrase, “the strong and silent type,” which describes a man who is physically capable, and who can lift a car, fix a faucet, and win a battle, but who struggles to talk about his emotions—or anything else for that matter. 
 

How to respond to a dry text from a guy on a dating app

If you match with a guy on Tinder and he keeps sending you dry or short messages, you may start to wonder why he is on the app in the first place. 

I mean, no one is making him be there, and he has indicated his interest in you by swiping right.

So why isn’t he being more enthusiastic about your conversation? Doesn’t this guy want to ask you out? 

If his texts aren’t giving you much to work with and you’re struggling to get the conversation off the ground, ask him a direct question that requires a detailed answer.

Try to ask a question that will pique his interest and make him to want to engage with you.

Cut the small talk out completely. Focus on asking real, substantive questions, or on playing a funny game that requires his full attention to participate. 

Here are a few good responses to a dry text from a guy on a dating app. 

 

11. Tell me what you think about this app in three sentences.

If a guy is sending you one- or two-word texts, give him a very specific task. Tell him exactly what you want him to talk about and give him instructions on how to communicate it. 

He’ll either rise to the challenge, in which case you’re on your way to prepping for a first date, or fall flat, in which case you’ll know sooner rather than later that you weren’t compatible. 

 

12. What’s your least favorite thing about dating apps? 

Speaking badly about a shared experience is actually a great way to bond. 

If you are texting a guy on a dating app who is sending back brief and uninteresting responses, see if you can get him to be more expressive by asking him his least favorite thing about the app you are both on. 

 

13. Let’s each tell each other three assumptions we have about the other based on the other person’s profile…?  

If a guy doesn’t seem that invested in general chitchat, see if you can draw him back in by making your conversation more personal. 

Guys care a lot about whether they impress a girl on a first date, and they’ll also care how they come across via dating apps. 

By suggesting that you’re about to tell him what your impressions of him are, you’re sure to make him pay attention.  

 

14. Do you think it’s easier or harder for people our age to make romantic connections than it was fifty years ago? 

If you think he might be the silent type who is quiet because he’s always deeply involved in his own thoughts, give him an opportunity to share the kinds of things he likes to think about with you. 

Asking an open-ended question will give him a chance to show you more of his personality. 

 

15. It seems like you aren’t on your phone that often, which I really respect. I’m a lot like that myself. 

If a guy you matched with goes quiet on you, you could respond when he finally texts you back by pointing out that it is a positive thing that he isn’t always on his phone. 

Most people who neglect their phone for hours at a time get a lot of criticism from others people for being unavailable, so he’ll probably really appreciate that you see the positive side of his aversion to constant texting.  

 

16. Do you want to play kiss, marry, kill…with vegetables?

This is obviously a ridiculous request. But…it does sound kind of fun, doesn’t it? 

See if you can get his attention by suggesting you play a ridiculous virtual game…like this one.

 

17. Tell me an unpopular opinion you have, and I’ll debate it with you. Winner pays for dinner. You in? 

This is a great way to bring a guy out of his shell by asking for a niche opinion. It also shows him that you’re interested in getting to know him better. 

This is a particularly good approach to take if you’re dating a nerd. Geeky guys love games, and introducing a game to the asking-out equation will take the pressure off him to ask you out formally. 

 

18. If you had a mid-life crisis, what would it look like?

Dating apps are all about showing off your personality, which is why it’s so frustrating when it doesn’t feel like a guy you’ve matched with is putting effort into trying to connect with you. 

But just because he’s being boring doesn’t mean you have to be. 

This funny question will either make him laugh and get him to open up, or his lack of enthusiasm in response will show you that the two of you don’t share the same sense of humor. 

 

19. If you had to label yourself politically, how would you describe yourself?

If you want the guy you’re texting to know he’s dating a smart girl and that you care about politics, this is a great question to ask to try to bring him out of his shell. 

If he is also interested in world affairs and has strong political values, he’ll jump on this question.

And if he doesn’t engage, you’ll know you probably wouldn’t have that much to talk about in person and you can let it go.

 

20. What do you think about people who meet on dating apps but then make up a story about how they met IRL…yay or nay? 

When you match someone on a dating app, use every opportunity to see what they think about different things. 

Whether you’re asking for his two cents about coffee, scientific materialism, or something as obscure as people who make up their love story, knowing what he thinks about a range of subjects will ultimately help you decide whether you like him or not. 

 

21. Are you an instant-connection type of guy, or a let-it-build-slowly-over-time kind of dater?

Look, there’s no point in beating around the bush.

If you are on a dating app to see whether you’re romantically compatible with the people you match with.

You don’t have to pretend you have no interest in each other.

If he is responding to your questions with boring, short responses, it’s possible that it’s because your questions are boring! 

Spice it up a bit by asking him about his dating style and preferences. 

 

22. I’m struggling to have interesting conversations dating apps. What has your experience been like? 

Hint, hint…this message will surely make him realize that he needs to improve his conversational skills if he wants to keep you interested.

And look, if you’re really struggling with how dry his responses are, you might try dating a Leo man instead, since they are notoriously charismatic, charming, and outgoing. 

 

23. Can I give you a quickfire compatibility quiz? 

The good thing about meeting someone online when they asked you “What’s up?” on Tinder, is that you don’t have a whole lot to lose. 

Why not throw caution to the wind and ask the non-responsive guy you’re messaging if he’s up for a quickfire quiz?

 

How to respond to a dry text from a guy if you like him 

If you like a guy and are generally suffering because you can’t tell from him lackluster texting performance whether he is into you too, just ask him where he stands.  

There is no point in wasting your own time writing messages back and forth with someone who can’t offer you what you want and deserve. 

 

24. I honestly can’t tell whether you are interested in me, because you always send such short, dry responses. Care to enlighten me?

This is a mature way to approach a guy who isn’t giving you the attention you need over text. 

If you like a guy who is constantly making you question whether your interest in him is mutual, cut right to the chase and ask him whether he wants to get to know you better or not.  

 

25. You’re very hard to read. 

If you want to point out how unclear the guy you’re texting is being about his feelings, but don’t want to go so far as to ask him how he feels about you, this is a great middle ground. 

Tell him he’s hard to read and see what he says. If he responds with something cryptic and confusing, cut him loose. 

 

26. So, this is going to sound forward, but I’m not really interested in having a virtual pen-pal. Are you interested in going for a date sometime? 

Why wait for a guy to ask you out? If you know what you want, tell him what you’re looking for and ask him whether he can see himself fulfilling that role in your life. 

 

27. …are you interested in getting to know me better? Or would you rather call it quits now before anyone gets hurt.  

This is a great way to warn the guy who is being less than enthusiastic about getting to know you that he is leading you on and that if he doesn’t make up his mind about whether he likes you, you may get hurt. 

Relationships and communication are an inseparable equation, and if he can’t effectively communicate, there’s not much hope for the future. This response will get that message across to him, loud and clear. 

 

28. So, can I get a bit of clarity about how you feel about me? 

This is a simple and direct way to get answers about how the guy you’re texting views your relationship. 

 

29. Earth to James? Earth to James? 

Finally, this is another funny response that illustrates what your texting exchange feels like to you. 

By pretending that you are a controller who has lost contact with a spacecraft, you’re making a funny analogy that indicates you’re finding it very difficult to maintain contact with him.