Dating-app slang & abbreviations

Hatfishing

Alsohat fishinghat-fishinghatfishhatfished

Definition

Using dating-profile photos in which you always wear a hat, so that matches cannot see your hair or hairline until you meet.

At a glance

  • Wearing a hat in every dating-profile photo.
  • Hides hair or hairline until meeting in person.
  • A playful cousin of catfishing and kittenfishing.
  • Often comes from simple insecurity rather than deception.

In detail

Hatfishing is a light-hearted relative of catfishing and kittenfishing. The person is real and the photos are recent, but a cap, beanie or sun hat appears in every picture, and the match only sees what is underneath on the first date.

Usually the reason is simple insecurity, for example about thinning hair, and many people do not mind at all. The term is mostly used jokingly, but it also points to a broader expectation that profiles should give a fair picture of how someone looks.

In a sentence

  • Six photos, six baseball caps. Is this hatfishing?
  • I added one hat-free photo because I didn't want anyone to think I was hatfishing.

Where the word comes from

Jokey dating-app slang from the late 2010s, built on the pattern of catfishing and kittenfishing.

Not to be confused with

  • Catfishing

    Catfishing uses a fake identity; hatfishing is a real person whose photos hide one detail.

Common questions

Is hatfishing a big deal?

Most people treat it as a joke. It becomes a bigger issue only if it is part of a profile that misrepresents someone in several ways.

How do I avoid seeming like I'm hatfishing?

Include at least one clear, recent photo without a hat. A mix of photos gives matches a fair picture and usually builds trust.

Related terms