153 Ways to Say 'I Miss You'

By Carly Forsaith, updated on May 15, 2023

Looking for original ways to say, ‘I miss you?’ Then you’ve come to the right place. With so many words in the English language, there’s no reason why you should always have to use the same expressions.

In this article,

  • We’ll cover 153 alternative ways to tell that special person how you feel.

So read on, and get ready to dazzle!

Different Ways to Say ‘I Miss You’ to a Friend or Family Member

Let’s start with a few cool ways to tell a friend or family member you miss them.

1. There’s a [name] shaped hole in my heart
2. It’s been way too long!
3. We need to catch up
4. I miss our friendship
5. We absolutely must hang out.
6. I feel lonely
7. Your absence is felt
8. Your presence is missed
9. It’s not the same without you
10. Why’d you have to move away?

Alternate Ways to Say ‘I Miss You’ to a Romantic Partner

What about if you want to tell your partner that you miss them? Then, the following expressions would be most appropriate.

11. I wish you were here.
12. I think about you all the time.
13. I see you everywhere around me.
14. I’m counting the days until I see you again.
15. I can’t stop thinking about you.
16. I can’t wait to be with you again.
17. [City] is not the same without you.
18. You’ve been running through my head.
19. I think of you night and day.
20. All I do is think of you.
21. I want you here with me now.
22. I feel empty without you.
23. I spend sleepless nights thinking about you.
24. Every piece of me misses you.
25. Your absence has left a void in my life.
26. Every part of me aches for your presence.
27. Nothing feels the same when you are away.
28. I might explode if I don’t see you soon.
29. Did you cast a spell on me? I can’t stop thinking about you.
30. Three syllables, three words, eight letters, one phrase—I miss you.
31. I wish you were in my arms right now.
32. I miss the warmth of your body next to mine.
33. Time stops moving when you are away.
34. I miss you terribly
35. I never thought I would miss someone so badly.
36. My heart aches for you.
37. I can’t wait to be in your arms again.
38. I long for your embrace.
39. I envy the people who get to see you every day.
40. I miss waking up next to you.
41. I miss you only when I’m breathing.
42. You may be out of sight but you are never off my mind.
43. My heart longs for you
44. My days are incomplete without you
45. If you think missing me is hard, you should try missing you.
46. I wish I were kissing you instead of missing you.
47. A day without you is like a day without sunshine.
48. I can’t stop thinking about you.
49. I can’t wait to see you again.
50. When will I see you again?

Funny Ways to Say ‘I Miss You’

Now some of those were a little cheesy, don’t ya think? And nothing wrong with a bit of cheese, but if soppiness isn’t your thing, then maybe you’ll want to say ‘I miss you’ with humor. If so, these sentences are just what you need.

51. I miss you like an idiot misses the point.
52. ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRST VWXYZ. I think I missed something. Oh, it’s U!
53. I miss you more than peanut butter misses jelly.
54. I miss you more than the ham misses the burger.
55. I did three things today: miss you, miss you, and miss you.
56. I miss you like a pinky toe.
57. I miss you like food misses salt.
58. I miss you like Howard misses Sheldon.
59. I miss you like I miss my phone when I forget to take it to the toilet.
60. I miss you like an arm misses an elbow.
61. I miss you like the bald miss the hair.
62. I miss you like a train misses its track.
63. Your absence leaves me feeling like a letter missing a stamp.
64. Your absence leaves me feeling like a fat kid without cake.
65. Your absence leaves me feeling like a hamster without a wheel.
66. Your absence leaves me feeling like a cop without a donut.
67. Without you I’m like a dog without a bone.
68. Without you I’m like a giraffe without a neck.
69. Without you I’m like macaroni without cheese.
70. Without you I’m like bacon without egg.
71. Without you I’m like butter without toast.
72. Without you I’m like ketchup without fries.
73. When you’re not around I’m like a fish out of water.
74. When you’re not around I’m like a thief who doesn’t steal.
75. When you’re not around I’m like the desert without the sun.
76. When you’re not around I’m like flowers without the bees.
77. Stop asking why the chicken crossed the road. Instead, ask why you always cross my mind.
78. I miss you more than an astronaut misses planet Earth.
79. I miss you more than the ham misses the burger.
80. I miss you lots—like tater tots!
81. There’s something wrong with my brain. It can’t stop thinking of you!
82. Missing you is just like blinking—it’s an automatic response.

Say It With a Quote

There’s no shortage of romantic texts out there, whether novels, poems, speeches… So here’s a selection of some of the best quotes to say, ‘I miss you.’ With these, you can kill two birds with one stone: tell them you miss them and be super romantic.

83. “I wonder how much of the day I spend just callin’ after you.” ―Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

84. “You can decorate absence however you want- but you’re still gonna feel what’s missing.” ―Siobhan Vivian, Same Difference

85. “You know someone is very special to you when days just don’t seem right without them.” ―John Cena

86. “I think about you constantly, whether it’s with my mind or my heart.” — Terri Guillemets

87. “In case you ever foolishly forget: I am never not thinking of you.” — Virginia Woolf

88. “Listen to the sunset; see its pretty hue. When you see it, think of me, and I’ll think of you.” — Oksana Rus

89. “I keep myself busy with the things I do, but every time I pause, I still think of you.” — Cecelia Ahern

90. “I love you past the moon and miss you beyond the stars.” — J.M. Storm

91. “But I must admit, I miss you quite terribly. The world is too quiet without you nearby.” — Lemony Snicket

92. “I don’t know what they are called — the spaces between seconds, but I think of you always in those intervals." — Salvador Plascencia

93. “If I could plant a flower for every time I miss you, I could walk through my garden forever.” – Unknown

94. “When we miss someone, often, what we really miss is the part of us that with this someone awakens.” – Luigina Sgarro

95. “Sometimes, when one person is missing, the whole world seems depopulated.” – Lamartine

96. “Missing someone enlightens how the person means to you and broadens the feelings shared.” – Unarine Ramaru

97. “I miss you in ways that not even words can understand.” – Gemma Troy

98. “Love is missing someone whenever you’re apart, but somehow feeling warm inside because you’re close in heart.” – Kay Knudsen

99. “But nothing makes a room feel emptier than wanting someone in it.” – Calla Quinn

100. “My world is a million shattered pieces put together, glued by my tears, where each piece is nothing but a reflection of you.” – Sanhita Baruah

101. “You realize how much you truly miss someone when something happens, good or bad, and the only person you want to tell is the one person who isn’t there.” – Unknown

102. “And they can’t understand, what hurts more—missing the other person, or pretending not to.” – Khadija Rupa

Say It With Song Lyrics

Let’s face it: the majority of songs are about love. So you won’t struggle to find lyrics you can use to tell your loved one you miss them. Here’s a selection of our favorites.

103. “Every step I take
Every move I make
Every single day
Every time I pray
I’ll be missing you.”
—“I’ll Be Missing You”- Puff Diddy, Faith Evans

104. "Don't want to close my eyes
I don't want to fall asleep
'Cause I'd miss you, babe
And I don't want to miss a thing"
—”"I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing" -Aerosmith

105. “I never knew how much I missed you,
but now I can plainly see
it’s a lonesome old town when you’re not around.”
—“It’s a Lonesome Old Town” -Frank Sinatra

106. “I only need you when my heart is beating
You are the color that I’m bleeding
I only miss you when I’m breathing.”
—”Breathing” -Jason Derulo

107. “All through the night I will see memories passing
The way you looked the sound of your laughing
How I long for the touch of your hand holding mine dear
Oh I miss you and I wish you were here
Lord, I miss you and I wish you were here.”
—“I Miss You”- Elvis Presley

108. “In case you’re wondering, somebody’s missing you.
Really, really, really, really missing you.”
—“Somebody’s Missing You”- Dolly Parton

109. “I know I’ll see you again
Whether far or soon
But I need you to know, that I care
And I miss you.”
—“I Miss You” -Incubus

110. “I miss you, like everyday
Wanna be with you, but you're away”
—”I Miss You” -Beyonce

111. “May be surrounded by
A million people I
Still feel all alone
Just wanna go home
Oh, I miss you, you know…”
—“Home” -Michael Bublé

112. "You're always there, you're everywhere
But right now I wish you were here"
—”Wish You Were Here” -Avril Lavigne

113. “I want you to know that if I can’t be close to you
I settle for the ghost of you
I miss you more than life (more than life)”
— “Ghost” -Justin Bieber

114. “And all my friends are tired
Of hearing how much I miss you, but
I kinda feel sorry for them
‘Cause they’ll never know you the way that I do, yeah”
—”Driver’s License” -Olivia Rodrigo

115. “No words can explain the way I’m missing you
Deny this emptiness, this hole that I’m inside”
—“Lay Me Down” -Sam Smith, John Legend

116. “I miss the years that were erased
I miss the way the sunshine would light up your face
I miss all the little things
I never thought that they’d mean everything to me”
—”From Where You Are” -Lighthouse

117. “Like indecision to call you
And hear your voice of treason
Will you come home and stop this pain tonight”
—”I miss you” -Blink 182

118. “But I can’t get my head around it
I keep feeling smaller and smaller
I need my girl
I need my girl”
—”I need my girl” -The National

119. “Cold light wakes me in the morning
Your side is empty, I was calling out to you
I was calling out to you”
—”Need You Now”- Dean Lewis

120. “And I miss you more than I should
Than I thought I could
Can’t get my mind off of you”
—”The Fear You Won’t Fall” -Joshua Radin & Priscilla Ahn

121. “What if I don’t want to be the lonely one?
The truth I know is this
I don’t want to miss you more
Than I already do”
—”Element” -Moses Mayfield

122. “Oh, I don’t have you here with me
But at least I have the memory
I try to make it through the night
But I can’t control my mind”
—”Thinking About You” -Ariana Grande

Other Ways to Say ‘I Miss You’

If you looked at all the above ways to tell someone ‘I miss you’ and you still don’t feel like you found what you were looking for, then take a look at the following expressions.

This a mix and match of some of our favorite ways to say ‘I miss you.’

123. I hope I see you again soon.
124. I feel sad without you.
125. Can’t breathe without you.
126. I wish you were here.
127. I’ve been thinking of you
128. I can’t wait to be with you again.
129. You have been running through my head all night.
130. I can’t wait to see your beautiful face.
131. I miss your laugh
132. I think about you all the time.
133. I can’t wait to talk to you again.
134. I smile when I think of the time we spent together.
135. I miss you so much it hurts.
136. I can’t work because all I do is think of you.
137. I can’t sleep because all I do is think of you.
138. I look forward to seeing you again.
139. I would like to be with you again.
140. I need to see you
141. I long for you
142. I yearn for you
143. I miss your smile
144. I miss you so much
145. I feel sad without you
146. I wish you were here
147. You crossed my mind
148. I hope I see you again
149. I miss seeing your face
150. All I do is think of you
151. The world is not the same when you are away.
152. You’ve been on my mind.
153. You're on my mind every waking minute.

Concluding Thoughts

So there you have it - 153 to say ‘I miss you.’ And there are probably even more! You could take any of these and mix and match them to make even more combos.

  • Choose an expression that’s appropriate for the person you want to tell you’re missing.
  • Tell them in person, in a text, with a song, or with a quote.
  • Enjoy making them feel good!

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Written By:
Carly Forsaith
Carly Forsaith is one of the lead freelance writers for WritingTips.org. Carly is a copywriter who has been writing about the English language for over 3 years. Before that, she was a teacher in Thailand, helping people learn English as a second language. She is a total grammar nerd and spends her time spotting language errors on signs and on the internet.

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