30 Funny, Witty, & Polite Replies for When Someone Says “I’m Busy”

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Plus, learn when to reach out again (and when not to)

Co-authored by John Keegan and Bertha Isabel Crombet, PhD

Last Updated: October 23, 2025 Fact Checked

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• Polite Responses
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• Funny Responses
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• Casual Responses
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• Sarcastic Responses
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• Flirty Responses
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• Following Up
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You’ve worked up the courage to ask your crush to hang out, but she said she’s busy—how should you respond? Is she actually busy, or is she just not interested in hanging out? Don’t worry—if you play things right, you can figure out how she actually feels and maybe even make plans to hang out another time. Keep reading for tips and example texts so you know how to reply when she says she's not available, with expert insights from dating coaches.

How to Reply When She Says She’s Busy

If the girl you like says she's busy and can't hang out, casually brush it off. Tell her to have a good day and let her know other dates and times when you'll be free. You can either reach out one more time and spark a conversation or let her come to you. If she doesn't, take it as a sign that she's not interested.

Steps

Section 1 of 6:

Polite Responses When She Says She’s Busy

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1. 
   Wish her well or ask a follow-up question. Showing you’re supportive lets her know how polite, kind, and caring you are. Even if you can’t get together or go on a date, she’ll appreciate that you’re still considerate of her. Give her a few words of encouragement if she needs to get something done or tell her to have a good time if she has other plans. Politeness will never go out of style! Here are some ideas:

   • “Aw, bummer! Well, I still hope you have an amazing day!”
   • “Oh well, we’ll figure it out sometime. Have a great time!”
   • “Hope you have fun today regardless!”
   • “Hope you get everything done you need to!”
   • “Good luck, and let me know if there’s anything you need from me!”
   • “It’s alright. Are you up to anything fun?”
   • “Oh dang! What happened? Did work call you in?”
   • “No worries! If you have any free time later tonight, give me a call!”
   • “I’m pretty free next week, so just let me know if that works better!”

   Meet the wikiHow Experts

   Alysha Jeney, MA, LMFT, is a licensed relationship therapist specializing in relationship therapy, intimacy building, and existential exploration.

   John Keegan is a dating coach and motivational speaker with over 15 years of professional experience.

   Imad Jbara is a dating coach, offering matchmaking, wingwoman services, 1-on-1 Coaching, and intensive weekend bootcamps.
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Section 2 of 6:

Funny Responses When She Says She’s Busy

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1. 
   Make her smile with your funny one-liners. If this girl is truly busy— which we hope she is— she could easily benefit from the lightheartedness of a joke. To let her know that you’re not mad or upset at all about her cancelling, try making a silly joke, a goofy observation, or ask a ridiculous (but appropriate) question. Here are some examples of what you can say the next time the opportunity presents itself to make her giggle:

   • "Busy again? The jig is up, we all know that you’re running a secret underground empire!”
   • “Can I schedule a meeting with you for October of 2027, or is that too short notice?”
   • “You’re a walking to-do list!”
   • “You’re busier than a high school custodian after a food fight!”
   • “You’re a one-woman show, and I can’t wait to buy tickets.”

Section 3 of 6:

Casual Responses When She Says She’s Busy

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1. 
   Brush it off casually. Make the rejection seem like it isn’t a big deal to sound less disappointed. If she sees that you’re not upset when she says she’s busy, you’ll come across as easy-going and nonchalant. Let her know that you can always reschedule, even if you don’t have a specific time in mind. That way, it’ll sound like you’re still down to get together later on. Try saying something like:

   • “Oh, that’s okay, we’ll find another time.”
   • “No worries, maybe we can go later.”
   • “You know, I actually had something come up, too, so that’s fine by me.”
   • “All good! I’m sure we’ll catch up soon.”
   • “Today was my only day off, so I totally get being busy! Hit me up some other time.”
   • “That’s okay, maybe we can figure something out this weekend!”
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Section 4 of 6:

Sarcastic Responses When She Says She’s Busy

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1. 
   Poke fun at how busy she is. Sarcasm can be tricky— you want to be sassy without rubbing her the wrong way. If you want to express a healthy amount of annoyance after she’s told you she’s too busy to hang out multiple times, there are good ways to do so that will get your playfully snarky message across without offending her. Here are some sarcastic quips that are sure to ruffle a few fun feathers:

   • "That’s what I thought. You’re probably curing cancer, solving world peace, and building a time machine all at the same time.”
   • “I get it. You’re a celebrity and I’m a nobody. Off on DiCaprio’s yacht you go.”
   • “No worries. I’m even busier than you are, believe or not. My assistant is typing this.”
   • “Oh, I totally understand. You’re so much busier and more important than the rest of us.”
   • “If you don’t want to be seen in public with me, just say so!”
   • “Busy? Oh, you just mean you hate me and think I’m stinky. Got it.”

Section 5 of 6:

Flirty Responses When She Says She’s Busy

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1. 
   Tease her playfully. Showing her your flirty sense of humor will make your conversation more cheerful. Teasing works best if you’ve been chatting with your crush and she seems into you. When she tells you she has other plans, poke a little fun at her to make her smile and affirm your feelings of attraction. She’ll want to make up for the lost time the next time she’s free. Make sure you add an emoji or laugh so it’s clear that you’re being a total flirt. Feel free to use any of the following lines:

   • “Don’t work too hard now 😉”
   • “And the award for hardest worker goes to…YOU! Haha.”
   • “You think you can just leave me hanging like this 😂”
   • “You'd better have some time for me soon!”
   • “Oh, it’s fine, just know you’ll have to make it up to me somehow!”
   • “Of course you’re busy. The hottest girls always are.”
   • “Busy, huh? I bet you say that to all your boyfriends.”
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Section 6 of 6:

How to Follow Up After Someone Tells You They’re Busy

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1. 
   1
   Send her one message at a time. Texting her too much might push her away even more. Opening up a wall of text could make her feel a little overwhelmed because there’s so much to read. When you reach out, send her a single message and then patiently wait for her to reply. Put your phone away and keep yourself busy doing other tasks so you aren’t tempted to double-text her.

   • Dating coach John Keegan warns, “You never want to appear needy, like you desperately need someone to respond to you.”
   • Keegan encourages you to really think about where this overly eager “energy is coming from,” and to check it accordingly.
2. 
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   Ask her out again in a few days. Waiting a couple of days gives her a chance to catch up with her schedule. If you try asking your crush out each day, it could sound a little pushy. If you’ve kept up your conversation and she acts like she’s interested, try asking if she wants to get together with you. Since she’s had a bit of space since the last time you ask, she may have more free time and want to spend time with you. Keegan says, “You can phrase it in a way that sounds like you're just reaching out, because you like them, and you want just to share your evening and have them text back.”

   • Licensed relationship therapist Alysha Jeney, MA, LMFT, adds that if she cancels, she should “always follow back up with an alternative option for when [she] would want to hang out.”
   • It’s very important that you read the room if you do indeed decide to ask her out a second time after a failed first attempt. Only do so if you’re confident that she has feelings for you and definitely wants to go out. Otherwise, you risk coming off as way too eager.
3. 
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   Leave her alone while she’s busy. Your crush will appreciate that you respect her time. When a girl specifically tells you she’s busy, she’s saying she won’t have the time to respond to your messages. You don’t want to disturb your crush and push her away, so try not to message or distract her. That way, she can have time for herself and focus. You can say anything along the lines of, “I’ll let you get to it! Text me whenever you’re free.”
4. 
   4
   Give her space to reach out. Taking a break from texting can make her miss you more. They say that if you love something, you should set it free, and if it returns, it’s meant to be. Apply these words of wisdom to texting your crush. Regardless, if she thinks you’re always available to talk to her, then you might seem overeager. Rather than texting her again, let her reach out to you when she’s free. If she’s still interested, she’ll make a point to stay connected with you.

   • Dating coach Imad Jbara shares that conversations shouldn’t involve “one-word answers” or “interview questions,” so it’s best to let them be until they’re ready to chat again.
   • If she never texts you back at all, then she wasn’t interested and ultimately is not the girl for you. Accept it and try to move on.
5. 
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   Move on if she keeps telling you she’s busy. You deserve someone who wants to spend time with you. Some girls say they're busy if they don't want to go out with you without wanting to hurt your feelings. Jeney cites a few warning signs that she’s just not that into you: “If she consistently tells you she's not available, if she ghosts you for a pretty substantial amount of time, and if she is consistently inconsistent”— this is your cue to move on.

   • It can feel like a bummer at first, but there are a ton of other girls out there that would be thrilled to spend time with you.
   • Don’t be afraid to put out feelings and ask someone else out that you’ve had your eye on. If you need help moving on from this girl, try downloading a dating app like Tinder or Bumble.
   • You can also try to meet new people via the friends you already have. Try saying yes to more social events and ask close friends if they’d be willing to introduce you to any potential available cuties.
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