Glossary
Dating terms, decoded
The slang you keep seeing, in plain language.
Dating vocabulary changes fast and most of it describes behaviour that has existed forever. Here is what the common terms actually mean.
Disappearing acts
- Ghosting — someone stops replying with no explanation
- Orbiting — they stopped talking to you but still watch your stories
- Breadcrumbing — just enough contact to keep you interested, never enough to go anywhere
- Zombieing — a ghost reappears months later like nothing happened
Intentions and labels
- Situationship — more than casual, less than a relationship, undefined on purpose
- Soft launch — hinting at a new partner online without showing their face
- DTR — define the relationship, the conversation about what this is
- Slow fade — interest drains away gradually instead of ending clearly
App vocabulary
- Rizz — charm, specifically the ability to flirt well
- Opener — the first message you send a match
- Prompt — the pre-written question you answer on apps like Hinge
- Green flag — a sign that someone is likely to be good to date
Questions
Good to know
No. Understanding it is useful, performing it is not.
Never get stuck on what to say again.
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