Gen-Z Dating Terms

It seems like everyday a new phrase gets added to our lexicon by younger generations who exchange concepts and Frankenstein terminology in an effort to apply language to modern behaviours. These Gen-Z dating terms leaves the older crowd confused, but is completely understandable to the generations behind them.

In the world of dating, as it evolves with today’s technology, so do the actions of those operating within these new systems. It can be confusing to keep up with, whether you’re in the dating game or only observing from the outside, but, like with most forms of progress, on closer inspection of the nuances within, these terms actually do make sense (at least sometimes).

Breadcrumbing

Non-committal and occasional attention to string someone along without an honest intention of a real relationship

Ghosting

Vanishing from a relationship without a goodbye or explanation. 

Rizz

A play on “charisma,” referring to an ability to charm or flirt with others

Pocketing

Avoiding disclosing your relationship to friends, family, and others in your social circle. 

Caspering

Another type of ghosting, but friendlier, in which you let someone down gently prior to disappearing 

Catfishing

Assuming a fake identity online to deceive someone into a relationship with you

Cookie-jarring

Keeping an extra love interest on reserve in case your existing relationship doesn’t work out

Woke-fishing

Using socially-conscious politics to lure someone into a relationship (even if your values do not align with what you project)

Situationship

An ambiguous relationship that’s more than friendship but not officially labelled as dating

Cuffing 

The shoulder season (fall/winter) in which people get into relationships for personal contact during cold months

Soft launch

Introducing your romantic partner via a glimpse but without posting a full face reveal on social media

Hard launch

Officially announcing your relationship on social media without ambiguity 

Zombieing

When someone reappears in your life after previously ghosting you

DTR

“Define the Relationship,” the moment when two people clarify what they’re doing 

Cushioning

Keeping a romantic interest as a backup plan while in a relationship with someone else

Babygirl

A male love interest who is sweet but naive and slightly submissive

Benching

Having a special someone ready to play second string while exploring other romance options 

Green flag 

A healthy, emotionally stable person who would make a solid potential partner

Red flag 

Warning signs that an individual is displaying dangerous, unhealthy, or toxic behaviours

Beige flag

A mundane and innocuous behaviour that will not make nor break how you feel about someone in a relationship

Love bombing

Showering someone with affection, gifts, or intense feelings of love inappropriately early in a relationship, sometimes to be deliberately manipulated 

Kitten-fishing

A less sinister version of catfishing without the identity theft, opting instead to use old or edited photos or exaggerated personal details

Orbiting

When someone how has already ghosted you in real life continues to engage with your social media content

Simping

Someone showing excessive sympathy and attention to another in the hopes of gaining their affections

Dry dating

Offering nothing but a dry, uninteresting personality and forcing the other party to carry the conversation

Cloaking

Standing up a waiting date and blocking them on all platforms so they have no recourse for following up or finding out what happened

Thirst trap

Posting a photo on social media with provocative or especially alluring poses for the express purpose of attracting compliments 

Fizzling

Allowing a relationship to fade away and die out without addressing the end of with the person you’re seeing

Vulturing  

Hovering around someone who is otherwise taken, waiting for their relationship to fail so you can swoop in 

Haunting 

Similar to orbiting, an ex who continues to engage with you on social media after the end of your relationship

Submarining

Someone you’ve parted ways with pops back up unexpectedly 

Love Hacking

Optimizing technology to get someone’s attention romantically, like posting at strategic times to catch their attention

Slow Fade  

Gradually reducing contact with your romantic interest until the dynamic dissolves completely

Roaching 

Discovering that the person you’re dating is also seeing other people without your knowledge

Glamboozled  

Spending time getting dressed up for a date who ends up cancelling last minute

Sneaky Link

A secret casual hookup or fling that isn’t disclosed to others

Paperclipping  

An homage to when someone pops back into your life randomly (like the old Microsoft Clippy) just to remind you they exist, but with no real intention of reconnecting seriously.

Textlationship

A relationship in which texting is the primary, or even exclusive, mode of communication  

Eclipsing

Pretending to be interested in your partner’s hobbies to give the illusion of being more compatible than you may otherwise be in reality 

Stashing  

Hiding your partner away to keep your options open or avoid commitment

Insta-Love  

Falling in love instantaneously, often from only knowing their online presence or having an idealized version of them 

Freckling

A casual summer fling that starts with the warm weather and is finished by the autumn  

Guardrailing

Using personal boundaries like limiting dates or communications to protect yourself from emotional burnout

Hardballing

Skipping the games and being upfront about your wants and needs from the beginning of the relationship

Reverse Catfishing

Downplaying attractiveness deliberately so that the other person is pleasantly surprised upon meeting

The Roman Empire Test

A dating litmus test of sorts where the partner is asked how often they think about the Roman Empire with their answer revealing their personality type

Shadowbanning Your Ex

Being deliberate about posting social media content your ex won’t see (like blocking them from stories or muting them) to give the impression you’ve moved on

In Casual Conversation

“My situationship and I started out by freckling but hopped over to cuffing as the leaves began to fall. He’s a bouquet of green and beige flags that I love-hacked into a soft-launch with his friends recently. I’m thinking it’s time we snuggle up and DTR for real.” 

With Gen-Z dating terms putting its own spin on dating lingo, they effectively blend humor, emerging technology, and online or emerging cultural references to describe modern relationships…but don’t get too comfortable, new terms continue to pop up every day. So stay on your toes, lest you’ll be the one haunting the dating apps.