8 email sign-offs that make people secretly dislike you, according to psychologists

Have you ever received an email that ended with "K," and felt your blood pressure rise just a little?

I'll never forget the time I sent a carefully crafted proposal to a potential client, only to receive a response that ended with "Whatever works."

The dismissive tone made me question everything about our professional relationship, and honestly, I never felt quite the same about working with them.

Email sign-offs might seem trivial, but psychologists have found they carry surprising weight in how others perceive us.

After years of analyzing communication patterns (thanks to my financial analyst background), I've noticed that certain email closings can quietly damage our professional and personal relationships.

Today, I'm sharing eight email sign-offs that might be secretly making people dislike you, backed by psychological research. Trust me, number six shocked me when I realized I'd been guilty of it for years.

1) "Best,"

This one hurts because I used it constantly when I first started writing professionally.

"Best" seems harmless enough, right? Wrong.

According to communication psychologists, "Best" often comes across as cold and impersonal, like you couldn't be bothered to type out the full "Best regards" or think of something more genuine. It's the email equivalent of a limp handshake.

Abbreviated sign-offs can signal low investment in the relationship. When someone takes the time to write you a thoughtful email and you respond with just "Best," it subtly communicates that you're too busy or important to reciprocate their effort.

I learned this the hard way when a mentor finally told me my emails felt rushed and dismissive.

Since then, I've made a point to match the energy and formality of whoever I'm writing to.

2) "K." or "KK."

If you want to instantly irritate someone over 30, end your email with "K."

This single letter has become the universal symbol for passive-aggressive communication. "K" triggers our threat detection systems because it mimics the brevity we use when we're angry or dismissive in face-to-face conversations.

A friend once told me she almost ended a business partnership because her collaborator consistently responded to her detailed project updates with emails signed "KK."

She felt completely dismissed and unvalued. When she finally brought it up, he had no idea his sign-off was causing such frustration.

He thought he was being efficient! The lesson? Save "K" for texts with your closest friends, if at all.

3) "Sent from my iPhone."

You might think this automated signature excuses typos or brevity, but research suggests it actually makes you look unprofessional and careless.

Emails with mobile disclaimers were rated as less competent and less trustworthy than those without. People interpret it as "I couldn't be bothered to sit down at a real computer for this."

When I transitioned from finance to writing, I kept this signature thinking it made me look busy and important. Looking back at old emails from those notebooks I've filled with reflections, I cringe at how many opportunities I might have lost because I appeared too casual or distracted.

Take five seconds to change your mobile signature to something professional, or better yet, remove it entirely.

4) "Thoughts?"

Ending with just "Thoughts?" puts all the mental labor on the recipient. It's lazy and presumptuous, suggesting your ideas are so important that others should drop everything to analyze them.

Communication experts note that "Thoughts?" creates an uncomfortable power dynamic. It positions you as someone who throws out ideas while expecting others to do the heavy lifting of responding thoughtfully.

During my imposter syndrome phase in my early writing years, I used "Thoughts?" constantly because I was too insecure to take a firm position.

A fellow writer finally told me it made me seem like I hadn't thought things through myself.

5) "XOXO,"

Unless you're writing to your best friend or romantic partner, please skip the hugs and kisses.

Using "XOXO" in professional contexts makes people deeply uncomfortable because it violates social boundaries. Overly intimate sign-offs in professional settings can be perceived as manipulative or boundary-crossing.

I witnessed this firsthand when a colleague complained about a vendor who signed every email with "XOXO."

She said it made her dread opening his messages because she felt like he was trying to create false intimacy to influence business decisions.

Keep the affection for personal relationships where it belongs.

6) "Respectfully,"

Here's the one that shocked me: "Respectfully" sounds professional and courteous, doesn't it?

Actually, linguists have found that "Respectfully" has become code for "I think you're wrong but I'm trying not to say it directly."

It's particularly common in emails where someone is disagreeing or pushing back, which has given it a passive-aggressive reputation.

During my burnout period at 36, when I was seeing a therapist and reevaluating everything, I discovered I'd been using "Respectfully" as armor in difficult conversations. My therapist pointed out that it was my way of creating distance when I felt threatened or defensive.

Now, I opt for "Sincerely" or "Warm regards" when I want to maintain professionalism without the subtle antagonism.

7) "Take care."

"Take care" seems warm and friendly, so why does it rub people the wrong way?

Psychologists suggest it can feel dismissive or final, like you're ending the relationship rather than just the email. It carries a subtle implication of "goodbye forever" rather than "talk to you soon."

"Take care" was most commonly used in emails where the sender was delivering bad news or ending a professional relationship, so our brains have learned to associate it with rejection or disappointment.

Save this one for situations where you genuinely might not speak to someone for a while.

8) No sign-off at all

Ending an email without any closing feels like walking away mid-conversation. It leaves people feeling unsettled and wondering if you're angry with them.

Psychologists call this an "open loop" in our brains as, without closure, we naturally fill in the blanks with negative assumptions: Did they forget? Are they mad at me? Do they think they're too important for basic courtesy?

I once worked with an editor who never signed her emails. Every single message felt like a reprimand, even when she was praising my work.

It wasn't until we met in person and she was absolutely lovely that I realized her email style was creating unnecessary anxiety for everyone on her team.

Final thoughts

Email sign-offs might seem like small details, but they're actually powerful signals about how we view ourselves and others.

The good news? Once you're aware of these problematic closings, they're incredibly easy to fix.

My go-to sign-offs now are "Warm regards" for professional contacts, "All the best" for friendly but formal relationships, and "Cheers" for casual colleagues. They're warm without being overly familiar, professional without being cold.

Every email is an opportunity to strengthen or weaken a relationship. Those two little words at the end might be more important than everything that comes before them.

What sign-offs have rubbed you the wrong way? And more importantly, which ones are you guilty of using?