No one starts a relationship hoping for it to end.
However, life isn’t black and white, so some relationships will end.
That’s why the last words you say to an ex can be very important.
They can be the last words you ever say to them, so they should mean something.
Finding the perfect words is not always easy, but it’s worth putting some thought into it.
You want to avoid saying anything that might leave them feeling bitter or angry.
And you want to ensure that you don’t put yourself down in any way as well.
There are many ways to say goodbye.
You can be straightforward, honest, or even funny about it.
Depending on the nature of your breakup, here are some best last words to say to an ex.
I hope you find something that suits your need.
56 Best Last Words To Say To An Ex
- “I hope we can remain friends.”
If your breakup is amicable, it is nice and mature and allows both parties to remain in each other’s lives after the breakup if they want to — which means less awkwardness on both sides.
2. “I wish you the best.”
You can’t expect your ex to be happy about the breakup, but this is one way to say goodbye without hurting their feelings.
It’s also a nice way of telling them that they deserve better than what they had with you and that they should move on and find someone who will treat them better than you did.
3. “Things were good while they lasted, but now they’re over, and I want you to know how much I appreciate the time we spent together.”
4. “I know this isn’t easy for either of us, but I want you to know that I will never forget what we had together and how much I care about you.”
5. “I love you.”
This is always a good thing to say because it shows that you care about your ex, but it isn’t too serious.
It lets them know that you still care about them even though things didn’t work out between you.
6. “I’m sorry for hurting you.”
If you hurt your ex, this is a way to let them know it was never intentional.
It also gives them some closure so they can move on with their lives.
7. “You’ll always be an important part of my life.”
This is a good choice if you’ve been friends with your ex or if there’s no bad blood between you.
It shows that you still care about them and will always do.
8. “I’m sorry things didn’t work out.”
If you’re having trouble getting the words out, this phrase sums up your feelings pretty well — plus, it’s non-confrontational and doesn’t sound accusatory.
9. “I hope things work out for you.”
This is another way of saying “I’m sorry,” but without any blame attached.
It also gives them a bit of hope for their future without making any promises on your part.
10. “I’m sorry.”
It’s okay if you’re not sorry at all.
You might not feel bad about ending things, but saying “I’m sorry” shows that you still care about how they feel and want them to know they matter to you, even if it wasn’t meant to be forever.
11. ”I know it’s hard to say goodbye, but you never know what tomorrow holds.”
12. ”I’ll always love you, even if I don’t get the chance to tell you that again.”
13. ”You’re stronger than you think. You’ll make it through this.”
14. ”Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.”
15. ”You’re one of the best things to ever happen to me, and I’m thankful for that.”
16. ”If we can’t be friends, then at least let’s not be enemies. Let’s just move on and leave each other alone so we can live our lives without any regrets or bitterness between us.”
17. ”Goodbye doesn’t have to mean forever. It can just mean for now. And I’m hoping this isn’t goodbye forever because I will miss you so much, but I know that someday we’ll see each other again and maybe pick up right where we left off.”
18. “I hope they put your name on the wall at Disneyland someday because you always made me feel like I was standing in front of the castle.”
19. ”I want you to be happy, even if it’s not with me.”
20. “I wish you had never met me so that you wouldn’t have ever known what it felt like to fall in love with someone who didn’t love them back.”
21. “Someday, your name will bring a smile to my face instead of a frown to my heart.”
22. ”I used to think that our love was a fire that could never burn out. But now I know our love was like a candle in the wind… easily blown out by the slightest breeze.”
23. “I still haven’t figured out what happened between us, but I know it’s over now, and there’s no going back. I’ll always love you, though.”
24. ”When you love someone, you don’t have a choice. It is an obligation to love the other person without conditions. I just hope one day you will be able to accept this fact and understand that I always loved you.”
25. “You may have broken my heart into thousands of pieces, but at least I know now that we were never meant to be together.”
26. ”You will always have a special place in my heart no matter what happens from here on out.”
27. “If I had the chance to see you just one more time, I’d tell you how much I still love you. If we were friends again, then I’d never get hurt again. But we’re not friends anymore, are we?”
28. “You may not believe this, but I still care about you and think about you often. You’ll always be in my heart. Thank you for the memories, and good luck with everything.”
29. “I hate that we ended like this, but as long as there is a chance for us someday, I’ll wait for that day.”
30. “When I accept the fact that we’re over, it makes me feel better because now I can move on with my life and not think about what could have been.”
31. “You know what hurts the most? Thinking back on all those times when I was so desperate for your attention and affection, thinking about how much time and effort I put into our relationship…and realizing how little it meant to you.”
32. “I’m so happy that we’ve finally broken up! Now there’s no more pressure for us to pretend things were okay between us when they weren’t!”
33. “You were my first love, but you won’t be my last.”
34. ”I’m not going to lie, this is a tough one. We’ve been together for a long time and have been through so much, so it’s difficult just to walk away. But if there’s no hope for our relationship, it’s best to let go and move on with our lives.”
35. “I love who you are, but I’m not in love with who you’ve become.”
This is another way of saying that you’re still in love with your ex, but they’ve changed so much that they’re no longer the person you fell in love with.
This is hard to hear, but if it’s true, they’ll hopefully understand where you’re coming from and won’t take it personally.
36. “I’ll miss us.”
This reinforces that this relationship was important to both of you and helps your ex feel better about their part in ending it by acknowledging how hard it will be for them too.
It also makes it clear that there were good parts to your relationship.
37. “Our relationship didn’t work out, but I still love you and wish you the best.”
38. ”You win some and lose some, right?”
39. “It wasn’t meant to be.”
This is a simple way of saying it wasn’t meant to be, and there’s nothing else you can do about it.
It’s an honest way of saying goodbye without getting into too much detail.
40. “It’s not you; it’s me.”
This is a great phrase to use if you want someone to understand why you’re breaking up with them and help them get over it faster.
It lets them know that they did nothing wrong but that something has changed within you, making this decision necessary.
It’s an overused line, but it works anyway.
41. “Hope you don’t hate me too much now.”
This line is perfect if you want to let your ex down easy without being too harsh or rude about it.
It acknowledges their feelings while also ensuring they know that there are no hard feelings between you.
42. ”Goodbye to the best years of my life.”
If you’ve been in a long-term relationship, this is probably true.
The best years of your life are likely to have been spent with the person you loved most.
But saying goodbye doesn’t have to be sad — it can be liberating.
You’re going out on a high note instead of waiting for things to worsen.
43. “I forgive you.”
If there was anything that caused tension between you and your ex, this is probably the best thing that you can say.
It doesn’t matter whether it was an argument over silly things or something more serious like infidelity.
Saying this will help both parties move on from whatever happened in the past.
44. “I wish you well.”
This is a nice way to close things off without being too emotional or personal.
If your partner cheated on you, for example, simply wishing them well will show that there are no hard feelings left between you.
It also lets them know that they’re free to live their life without constantly fearing that they might run into you at any time.
45. ”I wish you happiness and success in life. You deserve it more than anyone else I’ve ever met.”
46. “I’m sorry for how I treated you when we were together.”
This may seem like a strange thing to say to someone you are breaking up with, but it can be very healing.
If you’ve been mean or cruel during the relationship, owning those actions and apologizing for them is a powerful way of setting things right.
It’s never too late to acknowledge that you did something wrong and try to make amends.
47. “I don’t want to be friends.”
It’s a rejection, but it’s not a burn.
It’s honest and doesn’t leave the door open for future contact or drama, especially if you were the dumped.
48. “You deserve better than me.”
This very mature statement shows that you’re trying to take responsibility for your actions.
It also shows that you’re willing to acknowledge that there may be some things wrong with your personality or character traits. Instead of blaming your ex or making excuses, you’re willing to take ownership of your shortcomings.
It is an excellent way to show remorse while still maintaining self-respect.
49. “I’m rooting for you.”
This is a great last thing to say to an ex.
It’s positive and encouraging and doesn’t come across as being too clingy or pushy.
It is a perfect way to let your ex know that you care about their well-being and happiness, even though you’re no longer together.
50. “We had fun, didn’t we?”
This is a reminder that your relationship was good while it lasted — you enjoyed each other’s company and had a good time together.
You don’t have to pretend that it was all bad or pretend like you’re sad about it ending.
51. “I’m choosing myself over you.”
This is one of the best last words to say to an ex.
It’s empowering, and it makes it clear that you’re moving on.
Saying this shows that you have your own life and are no longer willing to put up with being treated poorly.
It’s a way of reclaiming control over your life without having to get into a fight about it or make an ultimatum.
52. “I’m sorry I couldn’t give you what you wanted/needed from me.”
53. “It’s really over, and there’s no coming back from this. You should accept it and move on.”
54. ”Thank you for letting me feel this way about you. Now I know what I don’t want in my next relationship and how to deal with it better.”
55. ”Our time together isn’t to be regretted.”
56. ”You gave it your best shot.”
Saying goodbye isn’t easy, but it can be done in a way that honors your feelings toward each other.
