How to Respond to “Lol” from a Girl (Text Messaging Guide)

One-word texts are never fun to receive, but what if there’s more to a short text? When a girl texts you “lol,” it can mean a few different things, but deciding what to respond to is the tricky part.

This article will cover all the possible reasons for a “lol” text and how to craft a response that will bring the conversation back from the brink of death. Let’s get started!

How to Respond When a Girl Texts You “Lol”

When a girl texts you “Lol,” you should consider your response before sending anything you’ll regret. The best responses to “Lol” are thoughtful replies that give the conversation room to grow. It can be anything:

• A change in topic
• A new question, even as simple as, “How was your day?”
• No response

Your response should depend on how much work you’ve put into the conversation so far. In other words, if she’s been texting one-word answers for a while, like the person in the conversation below, you might want to take a break from putting in all the effort. Then, she can decide if she wants to try a conversation starter herself.

If that’s the first one-word answer she sent, try something different like the options listed above. You’ll find that she might transition to a new conversation and away from one-word answers as soon as you give her something else to work with.

What Does “Lol” in a Text Mean?

The word “lol” itself means “laugh out loud,” but how many of us actually LOL when we send that text? Often, texting “lol” is just a quick response when you don’t have time for a longer, thought-out answer.

The same goes for things like “LMAO” or “Haha.” Most abbreviations go at the end of a sentence, like “I love that movie lol.” But when they’re sent alone in a text, it sometimes means the sender needs a break from the conversation. Based on that, you might be wondering what to respond to when a girl texts you “Lol.” Take a look at your options next.

How Should I Respond When She Just Texts “Lol”

You should craft a response that gives her something else to work on within the conversation. That can either be a question, story, or another opener or prompt that will invigorate the conversation. The best two options are sending a question or a story, like the examples below.

Send a question

There are a million different ways to go with a question. You can either ask something about her day or night, like:

• How was work today?
• Did you end up watching that show last night?
• Any plans for this evening?

Or go with an opener that’s off the cuff, like:

• Have you seen that new horror movie in theaters yet?
• What’s your favorite breakfast food?
• Have you ever been skydiving?

The person in this conversation tried to ask two different questions that still got one-word responses. He should decide to find a new match, based on the fact that she still wasn’t putting in effort.

Tell her a story about you

If she sends a short answer, she might not have time to type out something long. Take the pressure off her by instead sending some information about yourself. You can try something along the lines of:

• I just got off work and man it was busy! We had so many customers – I’m exhausted.
• I stayed up all night watching that new Netflix show, it’s amazing!
• My favorite band is coming into town this weekend!

Should I Text Her “Lol”

If a girl texts you “lol,” you might instinctively want to text her back a short response like “haha” or “lmao.” You might even tuck it into the back of your mind to remember to do to her another day. But replying back with a similarly short text likely won’t get you to the point in your relationship that you want to be.

Instead of retaliating with a boring, one-word text, consider what that will show her. She might be texting a short response for a variety of reasons, as you’ll read next. In most circumstances, texting “lol” is not effective, and can send a dry conversation even further to its death, like the two people in the conversation below:

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What Does it Mean When a Girl Responds with “Lol” or “Haha”

When you get a one-word text like “lol” or “haha,” you might immediately think that means she’s losing interested in you. But there are other possibilities. Short texts, or ones that make it seem like she has nothing else to say, can be a sign of a few different things:

1. She Doesn’t Know What to Say Next

Have you ever gotten a text that made you stressed to think of a response? If you get a “lol” or “haha” text, it might just be because the girl felt like that. Even if you send a text that was thoughtful or funny, she might not know how to react, so she went with an easy, funny, short reply.

If that happens, try changing the topic by asking a question. If she perks up and sends more interesting responses, then you’ll know that was the case.

2. She’s Bored By the Conversation

Unfortunately, there’s also a possibility that she’s bored by the conversation. You can tell if that’s the case based on her responses that day. In other words, if she usually has great texting etiquette but changed her tune today, it might be because the topic you’re discussing is boring to her.

Again, a great strategy to move away from this is to just jump to a new topic by asking her a question or telling a story. See how she reacts, and go from there. The person in the conversation below should give that a shot, as his match isn’t enjoying the subject, based on her short responses.

3. She Doesn’t Have Time to Chat

Sometimes, a one-word response is all you have time for. That might be what’s happening if your girl is only responding with a “lmao” or “lol.” If you think that might be the case, give her a day or two for work or life to calm down, then text again with a new topic and see how it goes.

This conversation is a great example of someone who is interested but just doesn’t have time to chat. Her excited “HAHAHAHA” shows she thought he was being funny, but she didn’t have much more to say. He should acknowledge that and try to move to an IRL date or a phone call.

4. She’s Not Interested

Even if you matched with a girl and seemed to get along based on her first messages, pay attention to her one-word answers. If they keep coming and coming even though you’ve tried different conversation topics and asked her tons of questions, she might not be interested.

If that’s the case, you can either ask her about it, try to arrange a date in person, or let her know you’ve had fun chatting but are ready to move on. Those texts could look like:

• Is the “Lol” because you’re not feeling this conversation, or are you busy today? I’d love to talk more but understand if you’re not interested right now!
• Are you free for a picnic this week? Texting is great but I’d way rather see you in person!
• I’ve had so much fun chatting with you but I think we’re missing something. You’re a wonderful person and I’d really love to stay friends.

Conclusion

It can mean a thousand different things when a girl responds with a one-word, “Lol.” But thinking of a reply is the tricky part. If you struggle to write replies and openers on Tinder, OkCupid, Bumble, or Hinge, I can help.

I’m here to help you craft a thoughtful response, and get more matches along the way. Learn about my online dating strategies and how I can help you build an appealing dating profile.