Rejection stings, whether it’s a job you didn’t get, a kid who didn’t want to play with you at recess, or a random lottery where you weren’t picked as the winner. Somehow, romantic rejection is the type that causes most heartbreak.
That’s why many young people report feeling dating app fatigue — 78% of Gen Z Americans say they’re burnt out. Although failing to easily find people you click with is the most common reason for this, 27% of those who date say they just can’t handle the rejection anymore.
Some people know how to let others down gently, but others don’t offer the same grace. In fact, their ways of saying “No” can be so brutal and insulting that those on the other end of it can never forget them. Bored Panda collected the most interesting stories about brutal rejections from three separate online threads, and we’re presenting them to you here. Read them and see that “The worst thing she can say is ‘No’” doesn’t always apply.
#1
I asked a girl out in highschool and she just looked at her friends, said eww, and walked away. It crushed my self esteem for months.
Image source: RedBeardedTallGuy, krakenimages
#2
Can I answer as a female? I asked a guy to a dance in high school and he went of a half hour rant about why he couldn’t say yes because he wanted someone way hotter to ask him. He pointed out the list of why I didn’t make the grade and suggested that not having a date would be better than saying yes.
That was the first time I asked a guy out. Like just say no.
Image source: noitsnotfairuse, Luca Istrate
#3
At a bar with a friend, I asked a girl for her number and she said, “I have one but not for you.” I went back to my friend and we laughed and got drunk.
Image source: akamustacherides, andreas
#4
A girl in high school told me, in front of others, that if I was the last man on earth she would rather have s*x with a gorilla than with me.
Image source: trueFleet, Maxim Tolchinskiy
#5
I asked a girl out privately in highschool, she rejected me politely but told everyone at school that I asked her out. That would have been fine but she is a popular girl in highschool while I am an ordinary, unnoticeable student. Every boys that liked her bullied me until the end of the year for confessing to her.
Image source: dubu_dubu22, Gabriel Ponton
#6
She whispered to me asking me to be her boyfriend, and I acted like I didn’t hear and asked her to repeat herself, then she said never mind. She later dated my best friend and realized I dodged a massive bullet.
Image source: Sea-Satisfaction-631, Kateryna Hliznitsova
#7
I bought a girl a few drinks at a nightclub in my early twenties. After about 3 drinks, I asked her if she wanted to come hang with my friends and I. She leaned in and gave me a kiss on the cheek and says ” Thanks for the drinks I have to get back to my boyfriend now.” My guy friends were laughing their asses off.
Image source: RAM_592, Gera Cejas
#8
Here’s a couple I’ve had:
>The trademark five minutes of laughter.
>Hooking up with my friend to spite me.
>Claiming to be a lesbian, making out with the nearest woman to try and keep the act up then actually turning lesbian.
>No response, just turned around and left.
>”I literally wouldn’t put myself through that just to cheat on you for a laugh”
>Quit (she was a coworker and I literally just invited her out for a beer… with other people there
Women love me as you may tell.
Image source: comicraider, Alan Quirvan
#9
I met this girl at a Metal concert (specifically Gwar), she came up to me and was scared because of the mosh pit, and insisted I hold onto her because I was the biggest guy there (6’5” and 250lbs), she was cute so of course I did. After the show ended I forgot to get her number but gave her a drumstick of one of the opening bands. Fast forward a few days later I get a message on Facebook asking if I was the guy who gave her the drum stick, and I said yes. We ended up hanging out, a few times, got lunch, and I asked her out, I was told she does not date younger guys (she I guess was 25, I was 20 at the time), Fast forward a few days later, I find out she was dating an 18 year old so surprised me with a curveball.
Image source: Ghoulthrower676, Matheus Câmara da Silva
#10
Making small talk at a bar with a girl and offered to buy her a drink. She said “nooo, I’ll buy *you* a drink!” Can’t argue with that, I thought, and accepted.
She got me a gutter shot… Apparently she was dating the bartender and it was a thing they did whenever she got hit on.
Ninja edit: a gutter shot is when the bartender scoops up a shot glass full of whatever spilled drinks ended up in the trough behind the bar. It’s disgusting and probably not sanitary. Anyway, she was a jerk and that bartender was an jerk. I left without paying and never went back.
Image source: KilgorrreTrout, Matt Mutlu
#11
I went to school with a girl I ended up nicknaming JK.
Her initials were actually JK, so she never thought much about it, but I called her that because she was always ‘just kidding’.
She would flirt with you nonstop, making you think she really had a thing for you, until you built up the courage to ask her out. Then she’d laugh and say she didn’t think about you like that.
Weeks later she’d start flirting again, really pouring it on that she wanted you, rinse and repeat.
Wasn’t ‘the worst’ rejection or anything but man was it aggravating to keep falling for it!
Image source: MaestroLogical, Alvaro Reyes
#12
She looked in my face and laughed. But I am not even mad about it cause I am a joke.
Image source: Armadyllus, Sandra Seitamaa
#13
Wow I actually have a list.
Got maced
She yelled as loud as she could “I would go lesbian before I ever went out with you”
Smacked in the face.
Drink thrown in face.
Said she is too good for me.
Said she would f**k her brother before me (issues?).
Image source: bootypatrol0889, Cristian Castillo
#14
She laughed in my face and said, “Oh, you were serious? I don’t date short guys.” I’m 5’4″.
6 years later I’m doing very well, she is couch-surfing.
Saw her at a bar recently and she didn’t recognize me, partly because I grew a beard and partly because she was so sloshed.
She tried to hit on me, and I’m actually proud that I just said no thanks, but I’m flattered.
Proud of myself, sad for her.
Image source: DeelBreaker, Getty Images
#15
Back when I was 12, on my way to 13, there was this girl in my class who I really liked. We got along, all was good, but I didn’t know her for too long yet, so I interpreted some things wrong and thought *maybe* I’d have a chance. So, I told 2 of my friends about it, I was gonna tell her about it the next day. At the end of the day, the whole f*****g class knew, took like 2 hours and everyone knew. I was hoping she didn’t, so the next day I try to ask her if we could talk. No answer, thought she didn’t hear me. Asked again a bit later (due to classes) and she straight up ignored me. Got ignored for an entire year after that.
TL;DR: When I was 12/13 years old, I was into a girl. Told 2 of my friends, at the end of the day the whole class knew. Tried to tell the girl the next day, got ignored for an entire year instead.
Also, me and her are very good friends now and while she’s an amazing friend, I am quite certain now that she is no girlfriend material lol.
Image source: UselessAndUnused
#16
I suppose it’s not a particularly *bad* rejection, but I’ve only ever straight up asked a girl out once in my life, and it was someone who worked in my workplace (though in a different department). My other relationships sort of happened organically without me ever needing to.
Anyway, I spent weeks psyching myself up and trying to find the right moment, until I just decided I may as well go for it and get it over with. So I just told her that she seemed pretty cool, and asked if she’d like to get together for coffee some time.
She just said “I’m… going to have to think about that. I don’t normally hang out with people I work with.”
I just said “That’s cool, no worries, have a nice break” and walked off (this was right before we all had a couple weeks off work).
I thought she genuinely meant she just wanted to think about it and that she’d let me know later, but in hindsight I suppose this was just her way of saying no. That being said, it would’ve been a lot easier if she’d just told me she wasn’t interested. I wouldn’t have spent the next 2-3 months wondering if she was going to let me know, haha.
She also proceeded to be unusually nice to me over the following couple months after that, going out of her way to say hi to me if we passed each other in a corridor, even if she had to yell it from a considerable distance away. That confused me. Oh well, she moved to England at the end of that year anyway, so any potential workplace awkwardness was short-lived.
Image source: flameylamey
#17
Worst one? i asked someone out and they laughed, said i was ugly as f**k and asked if i really thought she or anyone else would EVER say yes to me… ouchies.
Image source: plsbrosaysike
#18
I was 14 years old and I asked Julie if she would go out with me.
She said “Oh Archer, I would love to!”
She held my face and kissed me on the lips.
……..then said “…….but I don’t go out with ”
Then gave me the sad face and walked off.
Image source: ArcherOk6223
#19
Girl I was in to in middle school, who was supposedly into me to. We used to dance at the dances, kind of. At the end of one, everyone was pairing up for the next dance, so I asked her if she wanted to go to the next dance with me. No hesitating, she just said no. Hurt like hell. But I still had feelings for her and it ruined a possible relationship later because I couldn’t let that girl go.
Image source: anon
#20
The worst rejection I ever got was a no. When I tell someone, that I have a crush on them I do so in private, because people tend to be much nicer in these situations when they are alone. Sure they can laugh behind my back, but IDGAF if they don’t do it infront of me.
Image source: Michi181298
#21
She said no, and it f****d up my self image, because I was young, stupid, and *way* too into her, and honestly believed that sh*te was requited.
Still glad I asked, no rejection is worse than a missed opportunity.
Image source: AThrowawayIDidnt
#22
I told a girl in high school i had feelings for her and then she completely ignored it and told me about how she was f*****g her personal trainer and proceeded to send me pictures of them together.
Image source: Admirable_Surround_7
#23
***The worst thing she can is no***
Depends how she says and it what happens afterwards.
So far I haven’t had a brutal rejection thankfully, but some of my friends did unfortunately.
Image source: anon
#24
“You should save the money and get a better car.”.
Image source: xavier_grayson
#25
When i was around 14 yo, my class was on a trip in a town. We were sitting at a restaurant grouped in seats. The waitress that was at our table dropped a spoon or smthing, me being the nearest picked it up but banged my head on the table when standing up. I gave it to her and laughed about it, bcs i realized it must have looked pretty funny.
She looked at me in disbelief, shaked her head and walkwd away saying no, no.
All class mates at table laughed their a*ses of that i was rejected. Noone believed me that i was just trying to be nice.
I dont understand this situation to this day.
Image source: Soldyn
#26
A friend set me up on a date with a wonderful woman and we got along well. But when I took off my hat and revealed that I was bald, she gasped and walked briskly to the bathroom.
Image source: sd_glokta
#27
Oh, let me think back on the list of crushing moments …
– Got told I wasn’t nearly attractive enough to date her. She then badmouthed me to her social circle, which followed me for months.
– Actually got the “gotta wash my hair excuse” in college which just struck me as amazingly lazy.
– Oh, I once got “I’m sorry, I can’t be seen speaking with you” followed by a swift departure.
And there have just been plenty of “laugh at your face” or “Ew, no” responses over the years. Those are pretty standard.
I eventually just stopped asking women out. Seems healthier mentally.
Image source: vikingzx
#28
I asked if she wanted to go to this upcoming concert. She laughed and said “Not with *you*.”.
Image source: Siryl7001
#29
We were pretty good friends, I asked her out, and she hasn’t talked to me in 3 years.
neat.
Image source: Hi_Its_Matt
#30
My friend told me a story once about her and her friend planning to meet up with a guy her friend was talking to on facebook. I knew where this story was going because I’ve seen her facebook and she has a gift of masking her weight through lighting and camera angles. Anyway, so this guy drives up to meet them… takes a good peak, and doesn’t stop the car. He keeps driving and never looks back. I don’t think I ever laughed so hard and felt so bad about it at the same time.
Image source: Life_and_Death
#31
It’s my birthday, the big 2-0, and I figure who would I like to spend it with more but a close friend of mine for whom I also happened to have feelings of the intimate nature. After lots of close analysis, I came to the conclusion that he might like me back, and with b**t loads of confidence, I asked him out on a date.
The first thing he said was, “I had a feeling you were going to say that,” after which he promptly *went silent* for two minutes. Finally, he said yes, but my heart knew otherwise. Sure enough, the next day I received one of the dreaded, “can we go for a walk” texts, and needless to say, I got friendzoned pretty hard. We’re friends to this day, and I have no regrets, but it’s still not one of my proudest 24 hours.
TL;DR, don’t ask anyone out on your birthday.
Image source: meshuginamonty
#32
In high school, I asked a guy to a Sadie’s thing. He told me he’d only go with me if I asked 5 other guys and they all said no. I pretended to just not really care, but it was embarrassing knowing the only reason he’d go with me was a pity date.
Image source: Elyezabeth
#33
A guy once told me I wasn’t pretty enough for him.
Image source: greengoddess
#34
A friend of mine got dumped by her long term boyfriend because he said ‘God doesn’t want me to be with you anymore’. The holy dump.
Image source: rusty2310, Jack Sharp
#35
I told this friend of mine I was developing feelings for him. We are pretty close and share a lot in common. But instead of telling me yes he felt the same way (which I thought because of many serious conversations, flirting, dirty texts, protecting me from douches) he said he felt more like my mentor than my lover. He also said something about how things can change and that was just how he felt right *now* and maybe later down the road something could happen but I think he was just softening the blow. But then he got me flowers on Valentines Day this year. While this is very sweet I don’t know what the f**k it means. Maybe that’s what he does with his really close friends, but I’m not really interested in putting myself back out there again to ask.
I’ve been rejected before, but that time really hurt. I’ve heard that guys experience rejection more than women. Is this true? If it is I give you kudos because f**k is it painful.
Image source: Fight_the_fairies
#36
I once got rejected by a guy I wasn’t even propositioning. I was out dancing with a big group of friends from out of town. I was dancing with some guy who had joined our group and we seemed to be drifting further and further away from where my friends were. I suggested that we go back to where my friends were hanging out and he answered “Not tonight, honey.” He must have misheard and thought I was asking him back to my place.
Image source: kalypso95
#37
I’m a guy, a girl once came up to me in high school and asked me if I would “go out” with her friend. I said no. She then proceeded to ask me out, for the remaining 5 of her friends, to which I said no to all of them.
TO FINISH IT OFF, SHE ASKED ME OUT FOR HERSELF.
I said yes. Not really, I said no. I mean – That must have been a pretty awkward conversation with her group of friends after that.
God knows what conversations they have had about me throughout school…
Image source: KEEPCARLM
#38
In high school this guy asked me out. 2 days into the relationship he seemed way too into me. Like, this is back when AIM was popular, he’d leave notes like “I LOVE YOU FOREVER (my name)” in his away messages, and had my name all over his profile… Creeped me out a bit but it was my first “boyfriend” so I didn’t say anything.
About a week in he had all these weird requests. He wanted me to write him love notes, draw him pictures, etc. At one point he gave me a notebook of his that had a picture of him and his ex (who I was in an afterschool club with) taped to the front. He told me to draw all over the notebook with hearts and “i love yous”, and then to cross out her face in the photo. At first I refused but then he begged me and was like, “please, please, for me”… So the idiot I was, I did…
Turns out the relationship was just a gigantic joke between him and his friends, and they had all placed bets on certain things that I would or wouldn’t do, and how far he could take the relationship.
Needless to say, I hated high school.
Image source: kyndle
#39
Asked a guy to Tolo (Sadie) dance a month prior and he said yes. The day before the dance he forgot who asked him and wanted to go with another chick.
Image source: flesh_eating_virus
#40
When I was 13, I ran into an old childhood friend at the local pool. The moment I laid eyes on him, I was deeply smitten. He seemed to reciprocate my feelings, following me around, chatting eagerly.
I guess the next time I ran into him, he had decided that his plan of action would be ‘hard to get.’ Being in middle school, however, he sucked at it. He was downright mean to me, and if I got in a 4 foot radius he told me he needed some personal space. I felt terrible and embarrassed, and left nearly in tears. Looking back, he seemed confused that I didn’t swoon over his indifference.
Image source: geekcheese
#41
Can I answer as a girl?
One time I revealed that I was wasn’t sure how I felt about a friend. He said he also wasn’t sure, so he told me to ask him out so we could find out. I obliged and he immediately made up excuses as to why he was never free. One week later, he’s dating a girl I have never even heard of.
W*f, he could’ve at least been an adult and not played with me like that.
Image source: TheApoptosis
#42
She pretended like it never even happened and expected us to just be friends.
Image source: dldw2021
#43
Has to be a tie. First time I went to a club, my friend told me to ask someone to dance. There was a guy I thought was cute, nerdy, so my friend pushed me in his direction. I barely got two words out before the guy said “eww you gotta be f*****g kidding me,” and walked away.
Second was after I lost 60lbs (from 240 down to 180). I had that on my grindr and a guy preemptively messaged me saying “don’t bother hitting me up until you lose another 60lbs”.
Image source: DarthGayAgenda
#44
I once had a guy laugh when I suggested we could hang out together.
Image source: FlewPlaysGames
#45
ITT: Women cannot handle rejection.
Most of these are VERY tame. Dudes get openly insulted, laughed at and called sleazy/lazy/a*****e/creeper by packs of wagon-circling girls. Meh.
Image source: anon
#46
Club, 3 am, I am completely pissed, and my housemate’s brother Pete is visiting town and partying with us and for that very single moment I just think he is the hottest man alive. And because this is 21st century, and I am a modern woman “I” am going to make the move!
Me: Pete, I find you very attractive. (cute smile, or that’s what I think I did)
Pete: (looks at me like a school teacher looks at the over-attached kid in class): Good for you!
Image source: anon
#47
I asked a guy out by letter on Valentines day when I was in high school.
His gal friend came up to me…in front of all my friends and told me that he just wanted to be friends… We had actually dated before that and he had broke up with me but I just couldn’t stay away.
Image source: Emptyspiral19
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