Words Speak Louder Than Action In Online Dating
Iona is a Wellness Coach specialising in relationships and dating.…
Want to up your chances at finding love online? Nope, the answer is not to update your profile picture but to tweak your profile description. Our friends at eharmony recently revealed the most and least successful words to include in your profile.
In a study of 12,000 members, eHarmony uncovered the words that are most likely to attract attention from compatible singles, as well as those that might turn them off.
For men, adjectives like ‘perceptive’, ‘physically fit’, and ‘passionate’ are more likely to see women initiate conversations with them, while the terms ‘quiet’, ‘energetic’, and ‘respectful’ can have a negative impact on their dating profiles’ appeal.
Women who use words such as ‘sweet’, ‘funny’, and ‘ambitious’ receive more approaches from the opposite sex, while words like ‘spiritual’, ‘quiet’, and ‘romantic’, fall flat.
Physically fit seems to be one to note especially if you are a guy. Perceptive and physically fit men attract between 58-143% more interest from women who want to get to know them better; whereas sweet, funny or ambitious women get between 28-38% more approaches.
Commenting on the findings, eHarmony’s Marie-Claire Ducharme Sayers said: “Both men and women respond more favourably to positive and extroverted terms, while quiet or modest descriptors are shown to have an adverse effect on the attractiveness of a dating profile.”
Top 10 best words to use in an online dating profile:
Male | Female |
Perceptive (+143%) | Sweet (+38%) |
Physically fit (+58%) | Funny (+29%) |
Passionate (+56%) | Ambitious (+28%) |
Intelligent (+48%) | Thoughtful (+27%) |
Ambitious (+48%) | Easy-going (+20%) |
Optimistic (+37%) | Passionate (+17%) |
Funny (+33%) | Outgoing (+16%) |
Warm (+30%) | Hard working (+15%) |
Creative (+17%) | Spontaneous (+14%) |
Thoughtful (+17%) | Happy (+13%) |
“Having a good sense of humour is a quality that comes up time and again. Including the word ‘funny’ in your profile can lead to nearly a third more interest from potential matches, which goes to show that Aussies really do value a partner that can make them laugh,” said Ducharme Sayers.
Top 10 words that don’t do so well:
Male | Female |
Quiet (-51%) | Spiritual (-45%) |
Energetic (-37%) | Quiet (-40%) |
Respectful (-35%) | Romantic (-27%) |
Modest (-30%) | Good listener (-24%) |
Kind (-27%) | Rational (-24%) |
Sweet (-26%) | Articulate (-21%) |
Good listener (-22%) | Modest (-21%) |
Loyal (-22%) | Respectful (-20%) |
Caring (-21%) | Dependable (-13%) |
Spiritual (-15%) | Intelligent (-12%) |
Photo credit: Shimal Ahmed (Fulhi)
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Iona is a Wellness Coach specialising in relationships and dating. She works with single women to write their own love stories.