It’s only natural for a girl to want to show her guy that she cares.
And when it comes to showing your affection for the man in your life, there is nothing more heartfelt than a little endearing pet name.
But guys have a funny way of taking a term of endearment and turning it into an insult.
This is especially true when it comes to one very popular term: Sweet.
14 Reasons Why Guys Don’t like to Be Called Sweet
I asked a bunch of guys why they don’t like it, and got a variety of answers.
Here are the most common reasons:
It’s a girlie word.
Some guys feel that cutesy terms of endearment like sweet, hun, and cutie are very girlie—and therefore not for them.
It makes me seem weak.
Others use it to describe something they think is so sweet, like a lollipop or cupcake, but not anything about them personally.
They don’t want to be equated with something that’s so sweet you can’t wait to take a bite out of it—because that just doesn’t fit their macho image.
Men want to be seen as strong and tough.
Someone who is soft and sweet—even in name only—is not seen as having these qualities.
They want to be taken seriously.
By adding the word sweet to what you say or do, it can make you look like you’re trying to be someone else—like someone who is so naive, they don’t realize that the guy is not that into them.
They don’t want to be put on a pedestal.
Even the word sweet is loaded with emotion. It’s basically a greeting that makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside.
While guys don’t want to be put on a pedestal, they also don’t want to be insulted by being called sweet!
They fear being seen as feminine, silly, or fickle.
As I said, guys are the strong, silent type.
They don’t want to be seen as feminine or fickle because that would make them look weak.
It makes me feel like I’m being patronized.
Sweet is a term used when you are talking to an infant or a pet.
Does he want to feel like he’s being treated like your pet?
No way!
It’s too cutesy for me.
There are lots of other endearing terms you can use to show your affection.
Guys actually love being called darlin’.
They also dig the term hottie, babe, honey, or cutie.
It makes me seem younger.
This is a big one.
Guys who are young want to seem older—not younger than they are.
Using terms like sweet, honey, or dear makes you look like you need to grow up—not grow older!
It’s overused and doesn’t mean anything anymore.
The word sweet is being used so much these days, it’s lost its original meaning.
It’s just become a filler word that has replaced other terms of endearment without adding to the way it makes you feel.
So next time you are trying to express your affection for the man in your life, try one of these terms instead.
They convey the same sentiment and won’t offend him:
- Babe
- Tarzan
- Wonderful
- Hottie
- Love of my life
It reminds them of their mom or grandma.
When a guy is trying to come up with a pet name for his girlfriend, he might also think of his mother or grandmother.
Not only can you think of a nickname for your boyfriend but you can also call him daddy, honey, cutie, teenybopper, and chubbs.
It has a negative connotation in their minds (i.e., “He’s too sweet”, “You’re too sweet”, etc.)
Many guys say that if a girl calls him sweet, it makes them feel like they’re being sugar-coated.
They also find it weird when someone tells them that they’re too sweet because they want to be seen as masculine and not soft.
They just don’t think it’s a guy thing.
While sweet is a term of endearment that is common among women, other guys think it’s a term that you use to show affection only to the other gender.
They also think it should be reserved for someone other than a guy, like a pet or a child.
They don’t believe in nicknames.
Some guys think you can’t trust a girl to use a nickname correctly, and therefore don’t want to be called anything that could potentially hurt them in any way.
They just want to be called by their name.
If you call your boyfriend by his first name, he may think it sounds silly and wants you to call him something that shows more respect.
He might also think that using the term of endearment is the same as using the word love, which is too confusing for him.
Conclusion: Keep Sweet for Girls
When it comes to expressing your feelings for the man in your life, there are dozens of ways to let him know you care without overdoing it on the sweetness factor.
Sugar, honey, and sweetheart are not among those words!
Sweetie pie and sugar baby might be great for a girl to use with her boyfriend or husband, but these terms of affection should be kept away from the guys we love.
No matter how much we want them to be willing to give it up and call us something so cute and sweet, guys don’t like it.
It’s just not for them!
There are lots of other great words out there that you can use to show your man that you care.
Just because your guy isn’t too sweet on the word, doesn’t mean you can’t show him you do.