We all know that no romantic relationship is perfect, so what makes a partner unfaithful? Are there certain personal traits of a cheating spouse, or is it a choice that a cheating woman makes?
While there is heightened stigmatization around a cheating woman, General Social Survey from Institute of Family Studies shows that only 13% of women, compared to 20% of men, cheat in their marriage. So, the phenomenon of a cheating wife is not as widespread as you may think.
At the same time, the idea of a cheating partner of any gender is quite devastating and traumatic. But the good news is that there are tell-tale signs that will help you identify a cheating woman. We will list them all in this post.
Why Do Women Cheat?
Understanding why she cheats will help you identify the main characteristics of a cheating woman. In other words, if you know what makes them unfaithful, you see the problem and perhaps can map out a way to save your relationship.
Does she cheat to satisfy her emotional needs – or is it the physical intimacy she is after? Is there an emotional disconnect between you both? Was it once – or is she a serial cheater? Do personality traits influence infidelity options?
The answer is the key, as each love situation is different. Not all affairs are fueled by the need for physical pleasure. Some partners might cheat because they want more than they bargained for, but at the cost of their partner. Most people consider cheating to be having sexual affairs with anyone who is not their partner. However, emotional and digital cheating affairs can also be considered infidelity, even if you think they are harmless.
By understanding her reasons for cheating and your shared definition of infidelity, you can gain insight into why she acted that way.
Rihanna – Unfaithful (2006) pic.twitter.com/Hr0RJorrvW
— throwbackJAMZ 🎶 (@throwbackBOPS) August 8, 2020
The Rationality of a Cheating Partner
According to a 2020 study, cheating is often triggered by external circumstances and the personality of the cheater. For instance, what is the state of the current relationship? Some women cheat to gain more from the other party without having to give up their relationship and partner.
Sometimes, cheating occurs when a partner feels little to gain from their partner and relationship. Regardless of the reason a cheating woman uses to justify themselves, infidelity is morally wrong and selfish.
The Common Characteristics of a Cheating Woman
Many signs, whether physical, emotional or personality, betray the cheating wife. If you are paying attention, you are sure to find the tell-tale signs of other men in your relationship.
Unless you’ve mutually agreed on an open relationship, here are a few common physical signs to look out for in a cheating woman.
Lack of Physical Intimacy
Although sexual fire tends to die the longer you are together, the absence of sex in your relationship should be a red flag. In a long-term relationship, sex frequency naturally tends to be lower. However, some factors point to a cheating spouse:
- A wide emotional disconnect between you two.
- If the woman is cheating, she will never initiate intimacy.
- There’s always a reason why she doesn’t want to have sex.
- The woman wants to try new things in the bedroom, including some she might have declined.
- You get a sexually transmitted disease from the woman.
- In severe cases, a nonexistent sex life.
Her Work Schedule is Constantly Changing
Office romances are cute, but not when they involve your wife. In the beginning, you might have had a steady schedule and were both aware of each other’s working hours. But currently, she is either too early or gets home too late. Such insane hours are often the first signs of adultery, especially if she is not an ER doctor.
Other than an inconsistent work schedule, there are other signs your spouse might be cheating:
- A woman takes extra time and effort to get ready every day.
- A woman will act weird if asked about her colleagues or her so-called friends.
- The woman lights up at the mention of a particular coworker.
- Increased communication between her and a coworker.
- The woman is no longer interested in talking about work.
- The woman is particularly invested in the well-being of a coworker.
She Acts More Independently
You must work as a team for a relationship to be stable and healthy. Most decisions in a healthy relationship are often interdependent.
However, if your partner no longer includes you in her decision-making or asks for your input, that might be a problem. If she no longer cares to keep you in the loop of her decision-making, it might be because she’s getting her validation from other men.
Your partner’s phone is often an indicator, especially if she has two. If she is highly protective of the other, she might lead a double life.
They Are Emotionally Unavailable and Secretive
Partners in a loving, healthy relationship tend to rely on each other for a lot of stuff, emotional or otherwise. A cheating woman constantly demands privacy, and she no longer tells you about her life. It might be because she’s telling them to someone else.
An emotionally unavailable partner will not bother to share the bare minimum time and attention with you. Anger and aggression while demanding personal space often indicate she’s hiding something.
They Constantly Receive Gifts
It’s not a big deal if your wife comes homes with gifts she has received from her friends. However, she often comes home with intimate gifts such as flowers, perfume, or diamond jewelry. She might be cheating, or she is about to.
In all honesty, no man buys an expensive woman gift just because a cheating woman doesn’t decline inappropriate gifts.
Constant Arguments
Naturally, couples tend to fight over petty and serious things. However, it is quite alarming if your wife is constantly looking for a reason to fight. A cheating woman is always looking for a reason to be away from you.
They will start a fight over something silly and blow it out of proportion if she’s cheating. Ultimately, she will storm out, saying she needs some time alone. She will most likely use this time to seek solace in the hand of other men. Most women will use such fights to justify their behaviors.
Money Matters
While financial issues vary between different relationships, they are often a big tell of what goes on inside and outside the house. Money trails are an accurate tell of infidelity in a relationship, especially if the circumstances are shady.
Did your partner recently open an account you were not told about? Does she seem to have more or less money, but the bank statements don’t add up? If your woman starts to afford the stuff you couldn’t, then someone else is likely funding her lifestyle.
Other Characteristics of a Cheating Woman
Not all signs will manifest in their day-to-day life. Sometimes, there are indirect signs that she might be cheating. Paying close attention to such behavior patterns will help you know whether she is cheating.
Communication Issues
For relationships to be healthy and prosperous, there must be clear communication channels. However, this will change if the woman does not care to communicate in healthy ways and she would rather stonewall you.
Poor communication habits of cheating ladies include:
- She ignores you while you speak, and they don’t acknowledge you or what you say.
- She won’t respond to you and often storm off during a conversation.
- She will often have excuses for why she doesn’t want to converse with you. She stops talking to you altogether.
- Whenever the topic of extramarital affairs comes up, they get defensive and show negative body language.
Extra Indulged in a Hobby
Naturally, people will take on new activities as they grow older, whether for pleasure or as a stress-coping mechanism. While new hobbies might not be alarming, they can be questionable if she spends too much time on the activity.
Most cheating women tend to use their hobby as a means of cheating, especially if she doesn’t talk to you about it.
Change in Attitude
While we can’t expect your partner to be always happy, it is shady if she never seems happy when you are together. One of the most significant characteristics of a cheating woman is a drastic change of attitude toward the relationship.
She becomes more critical of your actions and words, even petty ones. She also starts to voice her unhappiness, and she might constantly compare you or the relationship to others.
Lying and Avoidance
Lying is one of the strongest tells of an unhealthy and unhappy relationship. Some of the characteristics of a cheating woman here include:
- All questions you ask about cheating are left unanswered.
- She’ll lie constantly about her whereabouts and company.
- A cheating woman is intentionally secretive about her actions, especially when she’s on the phone or has to leave.
- They get defensive and aggressive if you question their loyalty.
Indifference
How does your partner react when other women are flirting with you or when you’re looking at other ladies? They are naturally defensive and territorial, so it should be a sign if she seems impassive:
- Generally, she might seem bored with your life together and belittle your accomplishments over the years. She also has minimal interest in family events and affairs.
- She remains indifferent when you share good news or talk about something that excites you.
- She doesn’t seem to care if other people make a pass at you.
- She avoids making plans with you at all costs.
effy stonem pic.twitter.com/933DuFrTop
— Gante (@opayalol) March 21, 2020
She Has a Knack for Breaking the Law
Every once in a while, there’s a woman who doesn’t care for rules. She doesn’t conform to societal expectations. A woman with a rule-breaking tendency is more likely to cheat. Women with such personality traits thrive on instant gratification, living life with minimal constraints.
Since they are easily bored, they will walk out of stable relationships and follow whoever has a promise of excitement and adventure.
She Likes to Dominate Her Relationships
Such women are the female versions of the Alpha male, so they always look for ways to cheat. They have an insatiable sexual appetite, and they will cheat on anyone with anybody. Such a woman is always a cheater, and she’s afraid of commitments and long-term relationships.
The Repentant Woman
A woman might grow up rebellious and hotheaded, but they learn to control their impulses as they grow and start dating. However, such women will cheat under the right circumstances, such as alcohol influence, work-related stress, or other stimuli.
She is Always the Victim
Most unfaithful women are never accountable for their actions, and they always feel like the victim in the relationships they are in. A woman might feel like she is giving up too much of herself in the relationship to keep their current partner happy.
While they might not actively seek a different partner, they are willing to establish an emotional connection with whoever listens. How long until people cheat depends on how well her current partner treats her.
She Has a History of Cheating
Did her previous relationship end because she was cheating? If a woman cheats in her first relationship, she’ll likely lie.
In addition, her social life might influence her takes on cheating. If the people around her are constantly cheating on their partners, she might not think it’s a big deal cheating on you too. Childhood trauma on marriage might also disfigure her views on loyalty and faithfulness.
You Have Different Social Circles
If she’s lonely, but you both spend time away from each other, it’s only a matter of time until she gets interested in someone who isn’t their current partner. If you’re both emotionally distant, you’ll feel alone and vulnerable.
Cheating is the worst thing a woman can and will do.
— 42Dugg (@42_Dugg) February 16, 2022
She Detests Commitments
Some partners enjoy the thrill of getting hit on, but they find relationships to be tedious mentally, emotionally, and physically. Such ladies are serial cheaters who only care about being sexually satisfied. If you plan to settle down, find out how she feels about commitment and long-term relationships.
Change in Relationship Status
Sometimes, a cheating woman is the result of a drastic change in the relationship. For instance, work or school might force the unready couple into a long-distance relationship. Middle age couples in committed partnerships can find it difficult to live apart. The woman might struggle with raising kids.
She Is Highly Ambitious
Married women are highly selective of whom they cheat with, and they often have something to gain from the cheating affair. If your partner has a huge appetite for money, success, and social status, they are most likely to cheat on their partners to achieve their desires.
Such women only cheat if it helps to boost their career or achieve a goal. Social factors have a huge influence on her exposure levels to unfaithfulness.
Sexual Incompatibility
Sex is a crucial aspect of romantic relationships, and it is important to have matching sexual energies. Sexual incompatibility is among the common traits of an unstable relationship. However, if your partner is not sexually satisfied, she might opt to create that physical connection with another person.
Self-Esteem Issues
People tend to get too comfortable once they settle into a long-term relationship. They might let go of themselves, leading to self-esteem issues. If their partner no longer dotes on them, stops complimenting them, and doesn’t make them laugh, they might start to feel unseen.
As such, they are more likely to cheat with someone who supports and compliments them frequently.
A Cheating Woman is Extremely Jealous
Cheating women tend to be more jealous than their faithful counterparts. They constantly accuse you of cheating and always ask for your whereabouts.
Most cheating women often have a betrayal in their past or cheat to get even with a partner.
Over-Demanding
One of the most common traits of a cheating partner is over-demanding, and it is impossible to make such a partner happy. They always want more than what you can offer, so if they meet someone willing to give them what they want, they will cheat on you.
How to Deal with Infidelity
Now that you know some characteristics of a cheating woman, what do you do when you find out your wife is cheating on you? This might be a very hurtful realization, and you might be angry at your partner. There are only two ways to deal with a cheating woman. You can either file for divorce or stay and work on your current relationship.
There are several things you can do to help you through this tough time. These steps will help you better understand your situation and process your emotions.
Get Professional Help
Consult a relationship coach. They are an impartial third party that will help you overcome betrayal and regain self-control.
Don’t Seek Revenge
If your partner cheats on you, control the urge to get back at her. Such rash decisions tend to make everything worse. Do not post it on social media or out to her family and friends. Also, cheating on her will not make you feel any better, and you will be just as guilty.
Build a Good Support System
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, talk to a best friend about it. Resist the urge to talk to anyone who will listen, and avoid talking badly about your wife. If you take back your partner and save your marriage, you don’t want people to judge your decisions.
Resist the urge to seek out your wife’s affair partner. Your emotions are still raw, and you have very poor impulse control. So, you might end up doing something you regret and get physically hurt from a confrontation.
Talk to a Lawyer
Whether or not you consider divorce, it is wise to consult a lawyer if your partner is presenting all the characteristics of a cheating woman. This is especially important if you have signed a prenup. Stay informed of your legal rights in such situations, and learn how to protect your assets if the worst happens.
Keep the Kids Out Of It
Your children have no business learning about the sexual behavior of your partner. Regardless of what you decide to do, ensure you protect the mental well-being of your children.
If you decide to separate, avoid sharing the details of the affair with the kids. It might lead to feelings of resentment and anger towards your partner.
Make a Plan
If you think you might not want to stay married to a cheating lover, you should create a plan to move on and find happiness. Find a reliable financial support system for you and the kids, find an alternative living solution, and formulate a suitable custody plan for the kids.
In addition, create a self-care routine to help you better deal with emotions and stress:
- Get a gym subscription
- Try yoga and meditation
- Eat healthy and hydrate
- Get enough rest, and don’t overwork to run from your emotions
- Add a couple of fun activities you can do with the kids and your friends
Note These Essential Characteristics and Act Accordingly
With this information, you are better equipped to pick out the characteristics of a cheating woman in your partner. While infidelity might scar your emotions and mental health, it is important to check your feelings. This will prevent you from being irrational and depressed and help you better handle the situation.
