Dating-app slang & abbreviations
The shorthand of dating profiles and messages, from FWB to GSOH. Includes phrases worth questioning, and what they really signal.
81 entries
No entry here matches that. Try the search at the top of the page.
- 420-friendlyMeans the person uses cannabis or is comfortable with a partner who does. "420" is long-standing slang for cannabis culture.
- BaeAn affectionate term for a partner or crush, often read as "before anyone else" though it most likely comes from "babe".
- BBWShort for "big beautiful woman": a term for a plus-size woman, used both as a self-description and as a stated preference. BHM ("big handsome man") is the male counterpart.
- Bear (community)A subculture within gay and bisexual men's communities that celebrates larger, often hairy, masculine-presenting men. Cubs and otters are related labels.
- Beige flagA quirk in a partner or date that is neither good nor bad, just slightly odd or unexpectedly bland.
- BF and GFCommon short forms of "boyfriend" (BF) and "girlfriend" (GF), used in messages, posts and dating profiles.
- Body countSlang for the number of people someone has had sex with.
- Booty callA message or call, often late at night, inviting someone over mainly for sex rather than a date.
- CasperingEnding a dating connection kindly, with a brief honest message, instead of disappearing without a word. Named after Casper the friendly ghost.
- Catching feelingsDeveloping romantic feelings for someone, especially when the connection was meant to stay casual.
- CishetShort for "cisgender and heterosexual": someone whose gender matches the sex they were assigned at birth and who is attracted to the opposite gender.
- "Clean" (as STI status)Using "clean" to mean having no STIs. The word implies that people with an infection are dirty, so sexual health services recommend saying "tested negative" instead.
- Cookie jarringDating someone as a back-up option while your main interest is someone else, keeping them "in the cookie jar" for later.
- CurvingTurning down someone's romantic interest indirectly, with vague replies, excuses or delays, instead of saying no outright.
- CushioningKeeping one or more romantic back-up options warm while dating someone or while in a relationship, so there is a soft landing if it ends.
- Dating app fatigueThe tiredness, frustration or burnout that can build up after a long stretch of using dating apps.
- DDFShort 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.
- DeluluPlayful slang for "delusional", often about a crush: believing a connection is bigger or more certain than the evidence suggests.
- DiscreetOn 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.
- Double textingSending another message to someone before they have replied to your last one.
- Dry textingReplying to messages with very short, flat answers such as "ok", "lol" or "nice" that give the other person nothing to reply to.
- DTFA blunt abbreviation meaning someone is interested in having sex, usually soon and casually.
- Facebook officialPublicly confirming a relationship on social media, originally by changing a Facebook relationship status, now more often through a shared post.
- FleabaggingRepeatedly dating people who are wrong for you, despite knowing the pattern.
- Friend zoneSlang for being seen only as a friend by someone you are romantically interested in.
- FWBShort for "friends with benefits": two people who are friends and also have a sexual relationship, without being romantic partners.
- GatsbyingPosting a photo, video or story on social media mainly to catch the attention of a crush or an ex.
- GSOHShort for "good sense of humour": a classic personal-ad phrase, especially in the UK, for someone who is or wants a partner who is funny and easy-going.
- HardballingBeing direct from the start about exactly what you want from dating, such as marriage, children or something casual, instead of keeping it vague.
- HMUShort for "hit me up": an invitation to message or contact the person.
- HookupA casual sexual encounter, or the act of meeting up for one. What "hooking up" covers can range from kissing to sex depending on who is speaking.
- HWPShort for "height/weight proportionate": a personal-ad phrase meaning someone is, or wants a partner who is, of so-called average build for their height.
- ILYTexting shorthand for "I love you". ILYSM means "I love you so much".
- IRLShort for "in real life": in person, offline, as opposed to on an app or online.
- KittenfishingPresenting a noticeably flattering or outdated version of yourself on a dating profile: old photos, heavy filters or small fibs about height or age.
- Left on readWhen someone has opened and read your message, as shown by a read receipt, but has not replied.
- LTRShort for "long-term relationship": someone looking for LTR wants a committed partnership rather than something casual.
- Masc4mascProfile shorthand, mainly among gay and bisexual men, meaning a masculine-presenting man looking only for other masculine-presenting men.
- Monkey branchingLining up a new partner before leaving a current relationship, like a monkey that only lets go of one branch once it has grabbed the next.
- MostingShowering someone with intense affection and big declarations early on, then suddenly disappearing.
- NeggingGiving someone a backhanded compliment or subtle put-down to knock their confidence, so they seek the speaker's approval.
- Netflix and chillA light-hearted euphemism for inviting someone over to watch something, with the understanding that getting intimate is the real plan.
- NGLShort for "not gonna lie": a casual way to introduce an honest admission or opinion.
- No fats, no femmesAn exclusionary phrase seen on some profiles, mostly on gay men's apps, rejecting larger and feminine men outright.
- NSAShort for "no strings attached": a casual sexual or romantic connection with no expectation of commitment or ongoing obligations.
- NSFWShort for "not safe for work": a warning that content contains nudity, sexual material or something else you would not want on screen in public. SFW means the opposite.
- ONSShort for "one-night stand": a single sexual encounter between people who do not plan to see each other again romantically.
- Open-mindedOn dating profiles, "open-minded" sometimes simply means tolerant, but it is also used as a hint of interest in kink, non-monogamy or group encounters.
- PaperclippingWhen someone keeps popping up with occasional messages just to remind you they exist, without any real intention of moving things forward.
- PartneredOn a dating profile, a note that the person already has a partner and is dating with that partner's knowledge, typically as part of ethical non-monogamy.
- PDAShort for "public display of affection": holding hands, hugging, kissing or other affection shown in front of other people.
- PebblingSending someone small things you came across, such as memes, videos or links, as a way of saying "I thought of you".
- Personal-ad codesCompact abbreviations from classified personal ads describing the writer and who they seek, such as SWM (single white male) or M4F (man seeking woman).
- Pic for picA request to exchange photos, one for one. It can mean ordinary face photos or, in some contexts, intimate images.
- Poz and negShorthand for HIV status: "poz" means HIV-positive and "neg" means HIV-negative. Profiles often add "undetectable" or "on PrEP".
- RizzSlang for charm or flirting skill, from "charisma". Someone with rizz is good at attracting and talking to people they are interested in.
- RoachingHiding that you are dating several people at once, then acting as if the other person should have assumed it all along.
- RosterThe group of people someone is casually dating or talking to at the same time.
- Shoot your shotSlang for making a move: telling someone you like them or asking them out, even though they might say no.
- SideUsed mostly among gay and bisexual men to describe someone who enjoys intimacy but prefers not to have penetrative sex, identifying as neither top nor bottom.
- SimpMocking slang for someone seen as overly attentive, devoted or generous towards a person they are attracted to, especially when it is not reciprocated.
- Slide into DMsTo send someone a private direct message (DM) on social media, usually to flirt or start a romantic conversation.
- Slow burnA connection that builds gradually, with attraction and feelings growing over time rather than sparking instantly.
- Sneaky linkA casual partner someone meets up with secretly, keeping the connection hidden from friends, social media or sometimes a partner.
- Sober-curiousDescribes someone choosing to drink little or no alcohol, out of interest in how they feel without it, rather than necessarily for recovery.
- StashingWhen someone you are dating keeps you hidden from their friends, family and social media, without an agreed reason.
- STRShort for "short-term relationship": dating or seeing someone for a limited or undefined period without planning long-term commitment.
- Sugar datingA dating arrangement where one person, usually older and wealthier, provides money, gifts or support to a younger partner in exchange for companionship and often intimacy.
- SwipingMoving through dating profiles by swiping on a phone screen: in most apps, right means yes and left means no.
- T4TShort for "trans for trans": a trans person interested in dating other trans people, and more broadly a spirit of trans people supporting each other.
- TBHShort for "to be honest": used to introduce a frank opinion or to soften a confession.
- Thirst trapA flattering or suggestive photo posted to attract attention, compliments or interest from potential admirers.
- ThroningDating someone mainly for their status, popularity or connections, to raise your own profile.
- U up?A late-night text asking whether someone is awake, widely understood as an invitation to meet up or talk intimately.
- UnicornIn non-monogamous dating, a single person (often a bisexual woman) who dates or joins an existing couple. Named for being sought after and supposedly rare.
- Unicorn hunterA couple, often a man and a woman, looking for a single person, usually a bisexual woman, to join them. The term is frequently critical.
- VersShort for "versatile": mainly used by gay and bisexual men to say they are happy to take either the top or the bottom role during sex.
- WingmanA friend who helps you meet people you are interested in, for example by starting conversations or talking you up. The gender-neutral version is wingperson; wingwoman is also common.
- WLTMShort for "would like to meet": used in personal ads to introduce the kind of person the writer is looking for.
- WLW and MLMWLW means "women loving women" and MLM means "men loving men": inclusive umbrella terms for same-gender attraction regardless of the exact label someone uses.
- WYDShort for "what (are) you doing?": a casual conversation opener that, late at night, often doubles as an invitation to meet up.