People with unique dating profiles are rated as more attractive, intelligent and funny, study finds

When it comes to writing a dating profile, it may seem difficult to stand out from the crowd.

But experts have figured out the best way to appear more attractive — by getting creative with your words.

Researchers asked online dating site users to rate dating profiles and found that those who used metaphors and more concrete information were rated as more attractive, smarter and funnier.

For example, instead of saying “I’m a very good cook,” the team suggests using a metaphor and writing “I’m a star in the kitchen.”

Alternatively, you could spice up “Food is essential to me” by writing “Coffee and a cracker with cheese or jam are part of my morning ritual.”

In the study, researchers from Tilburg University asked 1,234 online dating site users to rate the originality of texts from authentic dating profiles and rate the personality and attractiveness of the profile owner.

All 308 profiles were from dating sites targeting the over-50s and had blurry profile pictures.

The analysis found that the owners of dating profiles who were deemed “more original” also tended to score higher on perceived intelligence, sense of humor, attractiveness, and the likelihood that participants would want to date them.

In general, participants agreed on which profiles they considered “original,” and the researchers found that these profiles often used stylistic features such as metaphors.

For example, instead of “I’m a good cook,” it’s more original to write “I’m a star in the kitchen.”

People who also disclosed more specific personal information in their profiles were considered more original.

Rather than writing “Food is essential to me,” a better way to stand out might be something like “Coffee and a cracker with cheese or jam are essential in my morning ritual,” the researchers said.

Profiles that contained more information about the type of relationship or the partner they were looking for were also considered more original.

The team, from Tilburg University in the Netherlands, wrote in Plos One magazine: “In online dating, the free text component of dating profiles offers many opportunities to be original.

“An original dating profile text can be effective in attracting attention… and those profile owners could then be more successful in attracting potential romantic partners.

“Given our results, there seem to be at least two ways to improve perceptions of the originality of profile texts: by disclosing more and concrete personal information, and by using stylistic features such as fixed and novel metaphors.”

Previous research suggests that women are more willing to date men who use metaphorical language to complement their looks than those who use literal language.

For example, men who said something like “Your eyes are shining stars” rather than “Your eyes are beautiful” were considered more intelligent.

Meanwhile, singles struggling to find love might consider getting a dog, according to a separate study.

Among dog owners in the UK, 42 percent say they would be more likely to date someone who also has a dog.

Meanwhile, one in eight say they would swipe right on an online dating site to like someone if that person had a dog in their dating profile picture.