Terms starting with D

No entry here matches that. Try the search at the top of the page.

• Dating app fatigueDating-app slang & abbreviationsThe tiredness, frustration or burnout that can build up after a long stretch of using dating apps.
• Dating violenceConsent & boundariesDating violence is physical, sexual, emotional or digital abuse within a dating relationship, including between teenagers and young adults.
• DDFDating-app slang & abbreviationsShort for "drug and disease free": a profile claim that the person does not use drugs and has no STIs. Health organisations regard the "disease free" part as stigmatising and unreliable.
• DeadnamingGender & identityCalling a trans or non-binary person by the name they used before transition, instead of the name they use now.
• DealbreakerRelationships & datingA trait, value or circumstance that would make someone unwilling to continue dating or be in a relationship with a person.
• Deepfake image abuseConsent & boundariesCreating or sharing fake sexual images or videos of a real person, made with AI or editing tools, without their consent.
• Defining the relationshipRelationships & datingA conversation in which people who are dating clarify what their connection is, such as whether they are exclusive or in a relationship.
• DeluluDating-app slang & abbreviationsPlayful slang for "delusional", often about a crush: believing a connection is bigger or more certain than the evidence suggests.
• DemigenderGender & identityAn umbrella for people who feel a partial connection to a particular gender, such as demigirls and demiboys.
• DemisexualOrientationsDescribes a person who only experiences sexual attraction after forming a strong emotional bond with someone.
• Dental damSTIsA dental dam is a thin square of latex or polyurethane used as a barrier during oral sex on the vulva or anus to reduce the risk of STIs.
• Desire discrepancyPsychology of intimacyDesire discrepancy is a difference between partners in how often, or in what way, they want sexual intimacy.
• DiaphragmContraceptionA diaphragm is a soft, shallow silicone dome placed in the vagina before sex to cover the cervix, usually used with spermicide.
• Digital consentConsent & boundariesDigital consent applies the principles of consent to online life: asking before sending explicit content, sharing photos, tagging someone, tracking location or accessing their devices.
• DiscreetDating-app slang & abbreviationsOn a dating profile, "discreet" signals that the person wants their dating or hookups kept private, sometimes because they are in a relationship or not out.
• Disorganised attachmentPsychology of intimacyDisorganised attachment describes a pattern in which closeness is both longed for and feared, so a person may move between seeking and pushing away intimacy.
• Dominance and submission 18+Kink & BDSMThe part of BDSM centred on a consensual dynamic in which one partner leads or controls and the other follows or yields.
• Dominant 18+Kink & BDSMIn kink, the person who takes the leading or controlling role in a consensual power exchange.
• Don't ask, don't tellRelationships & datingA non-monogamous agreement in which partners allow outside relationships but prefer not to hear any details about them.
• Don't yuck my yum 18+Kink & BDSMA community saying asking people not to express disgust at other people's consensual preferences, even ones they do not share.
• Double textingDating-app slang & abbreviationsSending another message to someone before they have replied to your last one.
• Doxy-PEPSTIsDoxy-PEP is a single dose of the antibiotic doxycycline taken shortly after sex to reduce the chance of getting syphilis, chlamydia and, to a lesser extent, gonorrhoea.
• DragGender & identityA performance art in which people exaggerate or play with gender through costume, makeup, character and stagecraft.
• Drink spikingConsent & boundariesDrink spiking is adding alcohol or drugs to someone's drink without their knowledge, sometimes to facilitate robbery or sexual assault.
• Dry textingDating-app slang & abbreviationsReplying to messages with very short, flat answers such as "ok", "lol" or "nice" that give the other person nothing to reply to.
• DTFDating-app slang & abbreviationsA blunt abbreviation meaning someone is interested in having sex, usually soon and casually.
• Dual control modelPsychology of intimacyThe dual control model describes sexual response as a balance between two systems: one that responds to sexual cues (excitation) and one that responds to reasons not to be aroused (inhibition).
• Dual protectionContraceptionDual protection means preventing both pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, most often by using condoms together with another contraceptive.
• Dungeon monitor 18+Kink & BDSMA volunteer or staff member at a kink event who watches for safety problems and consent violations and can step in or stop a scene.
• DyspareuniaBody & healthDyspareunia is the medical term for persistent or recurring pain before, during or after sex.