96 Inspiring Dating Quotes

In the journey of love and companionship, words often have the power to illuminate our paths, offering guidance, reflection, and motivation. Whether you're navigating the thrilling early stages of dating or looking to reignite the spark in a long-term relationship, a well-crafted quote can encapsulate the emotions we sometimes struggle to articulate. Our carefully curated collection of 96 inspiring dating quotes serves as both a source of wisdom and a gentle nudge to those seeking deeper connections. Dive into these poignant expressions and find the inspiration to embrace the beauty of dating with open arms and an open heart.

1. “There are three possible parts to a date, of which at least two must be offered: entertainment, food, and affection. It is customary to begin a series of dates with a great deal of entertainment, a moderate amount of food, and the merest suggestion of affection. As the amount of affection increases, the entertainment can be reduced proportionately. When the affection IS the entertainment, we no longer call it dating. Under no circumstances can the food be omitted.” - Judith Martin

2. “Well?" Ron said finally, looking up at Harry. "How was it?"Harry considered it for a moment. "Wet," he said truthfully.Ron made a noise that might have indicated jubilation or disgust, it was hard to tell."Because she was crying," Harry continued heavily."Oh," said Ron, his smile faded slightly. "Are you that bad at kissing?""Dunno," said Harry, who hadn't considered this, and immediately felt rather worried. "Maybe I am.” - J.K. Rowling

3. “Maybe our girlfriends are our soulmates and guys are just people to have fun with.” - Candace Bushnell

4. “At that moment, I hated dating more than doing my laundry” - Meredith Schorr

5. “Are you sure you want to go out with someone with that kind of history? ...He could have a psychotic break. I read that people get those when they're twenty-eight.” - Maggie Stiefvater

6. “Here's something else to think about: calling when you say you're going to is the very first brick in the house you are building of love and trust. If he can't lay this one stupid brick down, you ain't never gonna have a house baby, and it's cold outside.” - Greg Behrendt

7. “We're not dating," Alec said again."Oh?" Magnus said. "So you're just that friendly with everybody, is that it?” - Cassandra Clare

8. “Busy' is another word for 'asshole'. 'Asshole' is another word for the guy you're dating.” - Greg Behrendt

9. “...sometimes I get tired. Sometimes I get bored. And sometimes all I want, more than anything else in the world, is to go on a freaking date.” - Kiersten White

10. “And since I’m marrying into the Quartet, I have certain privileges and duties. If you’re sleeping with Laurel—”“I’m not sleeping with Laurel. We’re dating.”“Right, and the two of you are just going to hold hands, admire the moon, and sing camp songs.”“For a while. Minus the singing.” - Nora Roberts

11. “It's probably a bad indicator of your lifestyle when you miss your ex-boyfriend because he's absolutely lethal.” - Charlaine Harris

12. “Well, I’m sure you’ll find someone somewhere who’ll have you.” - J.K. Rowling

13. “I'm about to make a wild, extreme and severe relationship rule: the word busy is a load of crap and is most often used by assholes. The word "busy" is the relationship Weapon of Mass Destruction. It seems like a good excuse, but in fact in every silo you uncover, all you're going to find is a man who didn't care enough to call. Remember men are never to busy to get what they want.” - Greg Behrendt

14. “Ordinarily, I am the person who falls in love quickly and somewhat inappropriately and then goes on to destroy what is a good thing. That's always been my style. So, you know: I get it. And I feel right now the way I imagine all those guys felt with me. And I have to say, for the first time in my life, I feel something approaching compassion for them.” - Sarah Dunn

15. “Who're you going with, then?" said Ron."Angelina," said Fred promptly, without a trace of embarrassment."What?" said Ron, taken aback. "You've already asked her?""Good point," said Fred. He turned his head and called across the common room, "Oi! Angelina!"Angelina, who had been chatting with Alicia Spinnet near the fire, looked over at him."What?" She called back."Want to come to the ball with me?"Angelina gave Fred a sort of appraising look."All right, then," she said, and she turned back to Alicia and carried on chatting with a bit of a grin on her face."There you go," said Fred to Harry and Ron, "piece of cake.” - J.K. Rowling

16. “And I, Nephi, took one of the daughters of Ishmael to wife.' Well Mr. Go-And-Do just went and did!” - John Bytheway

17. “I don't understand dating.. and the other things that people do.. all I know is that you ought to find the one you recognize. The one who gives you four arms, four legs, four eyes, and has the other half of your heart. There's only one of those, so what are all the other things for? Like dating?” - C. JoyBell C.

18. “People always fall in love with the most perfect aspects of each other’s personalities. Who wouldn’t? Anybody can love the most wonderful parts of another person. But that’s not the clever trick. The really clever trick is this: Can you accept the flaws? Can you look at your partner’s faults honestly and say, ‘I can work around that. I can make something out of it.’? Because the good stuff is always going to be there, and it’s always going to pretty and sparkly, but the crap underneath can ruin you.” - Elizabeth Gilbert

19. “... you've experienced the single scene out there - it's blood test and background checks and references and 'Please pee in this cup before we can go on a date' screenings, all clinical and stripped bare of any romance.” - Katie MacAlister

20. “You know a relationship has deteriorated past the point of salvage when one person detests another's gestures.” - Josephine Humphreys

21. “Amazing how being bathed in arterial blood can wash out any lingering romantic disappointments.” - Diana Peterfreund

22. “A while back, when Dick and Barry and I agreed that what really matters is what you like, not what you are like, Barry proposed the idea of a questionnaire for prospective partners.” - Nick Hornby

23. “Pretty soon the only people left without a girlfriend will be me and Wendell the school janitor, and he smells like windex.""At least you know he's still available.” - Cassandra Clare

24. “Because', she said, 'your problems are not real problems. You're dating two beautiful girls at once. Think about it. That's like...having rock-star problems.''Having rock-star problems may be the closest I ever get to being an actual rock star.” - Cassandra Clare

25. “Elizabeth: "Maybe he'll surprise you."Meghann: "Birdie, they all surprise me. Last week, I hugged my date at the door and felt a bra strap.” - Kristin Hannah

26. “Do many guys ask you out twice?""Only the ones with balls.” - Cath Crowley

27. “Love doesn't make the world go 'round; love is what makes the ride worthwhile.” - Shannon Alder

28. “I peeled the skin off a grape in slippery little triangles, and I understood then that I would be undressing every item of food I could because my clothes would be staying on.” - Aimee Bender

29. “Don't talk. Kill it."That might be the sweetest thing a woman's ever said to me on a first date.” - Richard Kadrey

30. “Yes, I totally would date a fan! I get this question a lot, but I'm always saying yes.” - Cody Simpson

31. “A full lifer doesn't commit to anyone until they've committed to her” - Deanna Kizis

32. “If you don't want to tear off the clothes of the person you're on a date with and jump into bed with them, then what's the point? I'd never date; instead, I'd have lots of good friends and hug them a lot and life would be easier and neater and uncomplicated.” - Rachel Machacek

33. “I've found that when you're wrapped up in the process of dating and want so badly to have something work out with someone -anyone- it's easy to forget that your choices aren't limited to one person or the other. There's also the choice I always forget about: To not choose anyone in order to keep myself open to someone who IS right for me.” - Rachel Machacek

34. “The formula I've figured out: Stop being so damn picky and let go of the mental image of an ideal; talk to more strangers, because it builds confidence and helps you feel more connected; be open to every opportunity, and when you do meet someone you like, keep dating around. And there's the mother of all lessons-the one I'm still working on: follow your instincts and even if you're wrong about him (or her), you'll know better for the next time.” - Rachel Machacek

35. “I'm terrified of getting involved with someone who disappoints me or leaves me empty and alone. I'm terrified of rejection, so I set my expectations so high that they can never be met, and I dig around with a magnifying glass looking for flaws in very person I date. There's always a flaw to exploit, and I'll find it so I never have to get too close.” - Rachel Machacek

36. “Attitude determines Altitude.Winners never quit.No venture, No gain.” - Stella Oladiran

37. “She looked at him, his soft brown eyes and tall form, and contemplated raising herself on her toes and kissing his ear, or his cheek...Instead, impulsively before leaving, she reached up and smoothed his mussed hair.Mr. Bradford beamed.” - Heather Dixon

38. “A good place to meet a man is at the dry cleaner. These men usually have jobs and bathe.” - Rita Rudner

39. “You doan go diggin' for gold in an outhouse.” - Sandra Hill

40. “Friendship is not by force but by choice.You can never please everybody, he who aims to please everybody will end up pleasing nobody.” - Stella Oladiran

41. “What you are as a single person, you will be as a married person, only to a greater degree. Any negative character trait will be intensified in a marriage relationship, because you will feel free to let your guard down -- that person has committed himself to you and you no longer have to worry about scaring him off.” - Josh McDowell

42. “Rejection is an opportunity for your selection.” - Bernard Branson

43. “I took it for granted that there must be a few men left in the world who had that kind of strength. I assumed that those men would also be looking for women with principle. I did not want to be among the marked-down goods on the bargain table, cheap because they’d been pawed over. Crowds collect there. It is only the few who will pay full price. "You get what you pay for.” - Elisabeth Elliot

44. “He wore a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the good place, and a heart-shaped leaf lay trapped in the hollow if his throat as though it were planned, though of course it was so perfect it couldn't have been planned.” - Elizabeth Berg

45. “My brother trolled recovery and support groups, searching for women with dependency issues, the way I frequented bookstores with the hope of finding a well-adjusted, intelligent woman. Between us, his record was more stellar, his sin more reprehensible; though, knowing my brother, he slept soundly through the night without ever experiencing the slightest remorse.” - Richard J. O'Brien

46. “We are all somewhere else, during.” - Katie Crouch

47. “When I was a teenager, most fathers tended to go berserk when I asked their daughters on a date.... I discovered that all fathers go berserk when their daughters start dating. I have to assume this was because all fathers were once teenagers at some point in their lives, so they had no illusions about whether or not the boys were “up to something.” - Gary Reilly

48. “She looked confused. She looked off-balance. That’s a technique I employ to get dates, and it always works.” - Gary Reilly

49. “You can always tell when a woman is with the wrong man, because she has so much to say about the fact that nothing's happening.” - Caitlin Moran

50. “I think I’m going to cut down on my dating,’ Annie said. ‘I used to need a lot of attention. You know, to make up for that empty feeling inside. But boys aren’t always the answer.” - Francine Pascal

51. “In Bruce’s opinion, the only fun in dating was the sport of it. The more it was like a tennis match, where he had to wear down his opponent through expertise and sheer force of will, the better he liked it.” - Francine Pascal

52. “Ask yourself, does this person make me feel good about myself? Do I feel safe, strong and free with this person? Those are the questions you need to ask....You have to be strong to truly be open.” - April Sinclair

53. “Unfortunately, he still hadn’t asked for my number, or a date, or my hand in marriage, and my drink was getting low.” - Kimberly Novosel

54. “Adeline was really rather charming, she always had a man in her life, but it never worked out: either they were nice but she didn't find them very exciting; or they were exciting but she didn't find them particularly nice, or they were neither nice nor exciting and she wondered why she was with them at all. She found a way of making the exciting men nicer and that was by leaving them. But then, they weren't exciting anymore either.” - Francois Lelord

55. “Some women like to treat a man like a piece of bubble gum. The poor sap thinks everything’s fine. And it is—until the taste runs out. Then she’ll just spit him out the car window of her life and never look back.” - Robert Burton Robinson

56. “Values are sometimes worth living and dying for, and are certainly worth dating and breaking up over.” - Henry Cloud and John Townsend

57. “If I want a man I'll go to a cheap bar, like any other sane woman. I, for one, haven't hit rock bottom.” - Eleanor Prescott

58. “Dating meant nightclubs, heels, and black. It meant, "No, thank you. Really, I'm full." It meant matching bras and underwear. Clothes with the word MICRO used to describe them.” - Stephanie Klein

59. “Does speed dating necessarily end up in a quickie divorce....?” - Josh Stern

60. “All those men who end up disappointing you. After a while, you don't even want to have feelings anymore. You just want to get on with your life.” - Candace Bushnell

61. “He told me that when we first met, he had said to a friend about me: “If I get that girl’s number I will never ask another girl for her number again.” - Kimberly Novosel

62. “On the porch were the still-smoking remains of long-stemmed roses, evidence that someone angry and passive-aggressive didn't know Peter was out of town.” - Theric Jepson

63. “Sex makes you stupid” - Donna Barnes

64. “Valkyrie made a face. "Bloody vampires."Ryan sat forward. "That was a vampire? That guy who looked like an accountant?""We don't talk about vampires," Skulduggery warned."But it was daytime. How could he have been out during the-""We don't talk about vampires!" Valkyrie said sharply.Ryan shrunk back. "Sorry," he said."Don't worry about it," Skulduggery told him. "Valkyrie used to date a vampire that's all.""We didn't date ," Valkyrie said immediately.Skulduggery held a hand up. "I'm not judging."Valkyrie scowled.” - Derek Landy

65. “Maybe some poor slob would take you to bed if you weren’t such a ballbuster.” - Susan Elizabeth Phillips

66. “And I know I need to invite him over for dinner, because there's no question. This is serious.” - Tamara Ireland Stone

67. “Tell her that you love her hair, that you love her skin, her lips, because, in truth, you love them more than you love your own.” - Junot Diaz

68. “Really, weren't these facts just placeholders until the long view could really assert itself?” - David Levithan

69. “It wasn’t because you weren’t beautiful, talented, funny, creative or had everything in common. It was because some men prefer plain vanilla ice cream. It’s predictable and a safe choice. Confident and adventurous men prefer the complexity and layers of a sundae, even the ones sprinkled with a little bit of nuts on top.” - Shannon L. Alder

70. “Conflict of interest. I wanted to date somebody who was less screwed up than me, and she wasn't.” - Jason Krumbine

71. “And I met Madeline's necromancer. His name's Luca." "A death detector?" Tod made a face. "That's creepy." "It gets weirder. He's dating Sophie." "On purpose?” - Rachel Vincent

72. “A person's readiness to date is largely a matter of maturity and environment.” - Myles Munroe

73. “It is the same way with dating. The time you are most prepared for dating is when you don't need anyone to complete you, fulfill you, or instill in you a sense of worth or purpose.” - Myles Munroe

74. “You're like a half-tamed creature, still shy of the bridle. 'Except you enthrall me, never shall be free.' But freedom is an illusion, anyway.” - Nenia Campbell

75. “I’ve said over and over again jokingly that the only way a woman can truly be completely satisfied is to get herself four different men—an old one, an ugly one, a Mandingo, and a gayguy. Now the four of them combined? They got you covered.” - Steve Harvey

76. “I know that you and your girls have been told for years on end that you just don’t pass up any opportunities when a man walks your way—he could be The One. But I’m here to tell you that this philosophy is just plain dumb. Women are smart—you all can tell when your friends are lying, you know when your kids are up to no good, co-workers can’t get anything past you atthe job. You’re quick to let each one of them know that you’re not stupid, that you see them coming a mile away, and you’re not going to let them play that game with you. But when it comes to your relationships with the opposite sex, all of that goes out the window; you relinquish your power and lose all control over the situation—cede it to any old man who looks at you twice. Just because he happened to look at you twice.” - Steve Harvey

77. “Just as with swimming or riding a bike, you can't really learn how to fall in love from reading a book not even this one. Sure you can read about the different swimming strokes or the parts of a bicycle; you can learn the theory and physics behind the sport. But to get to the heart of the matter you've got to leap in and learn by doing.” - Nicholas Boothman

78. “He went out with a variety of women, slept with some of them, hated the whole meaningless process. Drinks, dinners, plays and concerts and gallery openings ... He grew to despise the rigid formality of dating, missed the easy familiarity of simply being with someone, sharing friendly silences and unforced laughter.” - Ken Grimwood

79. “I think we're too young to be dating. I mean I don't see what the rush is." Summer says. "Yeah, I agree," said August. "Which is kind of a shame, you know what with all those babes who keep throwing themselves at me and stuff?” - R.J. Palacio

80. “It’s so evident to me now that just because someone is a great guy doesn’t guarantee we’ll make a great couple, no matter how much I work at it and want it.” - Daria Snadowsky

81. “I turned my ear toward the door because I heard him breathing. When you’re alone and afraid, the simple sound of the steady in and out of air being drawn by another person is good medicine.” - Laura Anderson Kurk

82. “Hearing my brother’s words coming out of Henry, this stranger in a strange town, made me feel wild with all the loss—wild and wired with no place to put those feelings.” - Laura Anderson Kurk

83. “I smiled at him. Not even Wyatt would have known how to be this honorable when talking about a girl that had hurt him.” - Laura Anderson Kurk

84. “Hmmm. What you’re saying is that you’ve never been kissed?” He picked at a string on the blanket under us.” - Laura Anderson Kurk

85. “Here’s what I learned about life when we were going through that. We’re all human and mortal. We’re all going to suffer and die. But it’s how we are with each other during those times that proves God’s here with us.” He turned his hand over in mine and entwined our fingers. “He comes in through people. People who love us anyway. They jump right into the chaos with us and try to help us make sense of it. That’s what mercy is…it’s choosing to help, or forgive, or love even when it goes against all logic.” - Laura Anderson Kurk

86. “Then let me be your mercy,” he said. “I’ll never be able to give you smart answers about why we suffer, but I can come into your world and try to be some kind of help to you.” - Laura Anderson Kurk

87. “I finally understood why so much monkey business happened in the backs of buses. Put us in close proximity, with wheels spinning under us, and nothing to do but wait, we’re going to start thinking of lovely uses for our bodies. I don’t care who you are.” - Laura Anderson Kurk

88. “He ran his hand from my wrist up to the crook of my elbow and then to my shoulder. “When I was a little kid, my dad would come to my room at night to say a prayer with me. He used to say, ‘Lord, We know there’s a little girl out there who’s meant for Henry. Please protect her and raise her up right.’” His voice changed to something slower and more country when he mimicked his dad. He smiled at the memory, and then he put his mouth near my ear and whispered. “You were that little girl.” - Laura Anderson Kurk

89. “It was true. Men could be with whomever they pleased. But women had to date better, kinder, richer, and bright, bright, bright, or else people got embarrassed.” - Lorrie Moore

90. “When looking for a life partner, my advice to women is date all of them: the bad boys, the cool boys, the commitment-phobic boys, the crazy boys. But do not marry them. The things that make the bad boys sexy do not make them good husbands. When it comes time to settle down, find someone who wants an equal partner. Someone who thinks women should be smart, opinionated and ambitious. Someone who values fairness and expects or, even better, wants to do his share in the home. These men exist and, trust me, over time, nothing is sexier.” - Sheryl Sandberg

91. “Love is often confused with attraction. Love is an action, it’s a choice. We can choose to love someone. Attraction, however, is a feeling, it’s an emotion, it’s temporary.” - Cole Ryan

92. “There’s a certain worth that can only be given to us by God. You see, if you think about it, worth has nothing to do with the object. Worth has everything to do with how much someone is willing to pay for the object. God paid for each and every one of us with His son’s life. That gives me chills. That makes us worth a lot.” - Cole Ryan

93. “Never talk to them when they’re human, or they’ll trick you. You’ll get confused and sympathetic. That was what his mom always said. She was probably right. Last time he talked to a werewolf, he ended up dating her.” - S.M. Reine

94. “He had the red serviette tucked into his t-shirt at the neck which made me laugh. He hadn’t done this since our third date when I had told him off for his bad manners.” - Kate Chisman

95. “I’m only saying what you won’t. He’s a hunk, admit it. A tall, dark, exotic hunk who wants to bed you, and you must be a fucking nun, because it’s been three weeks since you met him and you’re going to have to remove the cobwebs from your vagina with forceps soon, they’re growing into intelligent life form—” - Dianna Hardy

96. “Mzatal gave a decisive nod. “I willmanage this. It cannot continue to interferewith his work. Too much is at stake.”I raised an eyebrow. “How do youintend to manage it?”“I will tell him the truth and outline theconsequences.”I was surprised Mzatal didn’t shrivelaway from the look I gave him. “Dude.Seriously? You expect him to stopcrushing on me because you forbid it?”Mzatal frowned, contemplative.“Perhaps not ideal given the entanglementof human emotions, though there is no timefor it to drag on,” he said, as if he actuallyknew what he was talking about. “If heknows you have no interest and sees howhis distractions have affected his work, hewill subside enough for now.”My withering look became glacial.“Boss, you’re completely awesome inmany ways, but you are so off-base withthis it’s not even funny.” I rolled my eyes.“I’ve already ramped ‘No Interest’ up toeleven on the dial and, at this point, hedoesn’t care if his work suffers.” I took abig gulp of coffee, then ran my fingersthrough my tangled hair. “Let me deal withit. Normally I’m not into directconfrontation with this sort of shit, butthere’s isn’t enough time for it to fizzle outon its own.”Mzatal regarded me with that damnedunreadable mask which he’d slipped on asI was talking. Great. Lords weren’t muchon being told they were wrong, but it hadto be said.” - Diana Rowland