How to Hug a Girl Who's Taller Than You

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: May 24, 2022

Hugging someone who is taller than you can be tricky but doable! The best thing you can do is to try and compensate for your shorter stature by standing on higher ground, standing up straight, or even hugging her while she is sitting. Hug techniques that help with taller girls include giving her a side hug, turning your head to the side, and hugging her around the midsection.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Balancing Your Heights

1
Stand on higher ground. You can help even out the height difference by initiating the hug from a spot where you are standing on higher ground than she is. You can be just high enough to be at the same height or you can actually be taller than her.^{[1]
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- If the height difference is significant, you could stand on the stairs or even on a box or something nearby.
- Being outdoors offers a lot of options for choosing higher ground. You could stand on a curb while she stands on the sidewalk. You can stand at a higher point on a hill. Look for tree roots or a rock that you can stand on.
2
Stand up straight. Since you are already shorter, don’t make it worse by slouching. Lift your head up high and keep your shoulders broad but relaxed. You’ll put yourself in a better position for the hug as well as project confidence showing that her tallness does not bother you.^{[2]
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- Raise yourself onto the balls of your feet just slightly. Don’t stand on your tiptoes but you can give yourself a small one inch boost to even out the height difference a little bit.
- Standing up straight with your head high, your shoulders raised, and your feet flexed can add two or three inches to your height.
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3
Hug the girl while she is sitting down. In general, it’s harder to hug when someone is sitting down, but if you are shorter it can help. Simply lean down to her level with your arms over her shoulders, hands touching her back, and lay your head on her shoulder or against the side of her head.
- This may feel like you’ve created an awkward angle, but it will help you feel better because you will be taller in this type of hug.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Initiating the Hug

1
Put your arms around her midsection. As the shorter person, it won’t work to put your arms over her shoulders as you would with someone shorter. Wrap your arms around her ribcage, keeping your forearms close to each other.^{[3]
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- You can vary your hand placement in this position. You can place your hands up on her shoulder blades while keeping your elbows by her sides. If its a more romantic hug, you can also keep your hands low on her back reaching one toward each of her sides.
2
Turn your head to the side. When you give a face-to-face hug to a taller girl, one main goal is to make sure you don’t awkwardly stick your face into her chest. The easiest way to avoid this is to turn your head to the side. If your head has to touch her chest, it’s better to lay your ear against her chest rather than putting your face into her chest.
- Any girl would much rather you got an earful of her heartbeat than a faceful of her chest.
- If you are only a few inches shorter, this really won’t be a big issue. It’s most important when you are short enough that your face is at her chest level.
3
Position for a side hug. If you are short enough that your face is closer to her chest level, you can avoid that awkward closeness by giving her a side hug instead. Do this by angling one side of your body toward her and one side away. Slip one arm around her back and pull her toward you.
- Your shoulder will be slightly under her shoulder and your bodies will be touching from the chest down to the hips.
- For added intimacy to compensate for less body contact, you can tilt your head toward her as an invitation for her to lean down and touch your head with hers.

Expert Q&A

Question

How do you hug your crush?

Connell Barrett
Dating Coach
Connell Barrett is a Relationship Expert and the Founder and Executive Coach of Dating Transformation in New York City. Connell has over five years of experience as an international coach who helps men connect with women by unlocking their best, true, most confident selves. He is the author of the Amazon bestseller “Dating Sucks but You Don’t,” and has appeared on Good Morning America, the "Today" show, Access Hollywood, and in Best Life, Cosmopolitan, and The Oprah Magazine. In 2019 he was named Datezie.com's “New York City’s Best Male Dating Coach."

Connell Barrett

Dating Coach

Expert Answer

Hug them in the same way that you'd hug a friend or younger sibling. Try not to let the hug linger for long, though.
Question

What if we're going out?

Community Answer

If you are already a couple then you should feel comfortable hugging her however you want. You can learn to enjoy being hugged by a taller girl.
Question

How do I keep from being embarrassed when a girl is taller then I am?

Community Answer

There isn't anything embarrassing about that! Don't worry you will grow sooner or later and if you're average height and she is over average there's nothing embarrassing. She's probably taller than some of your friends too!