It’s 2020- if you’re not confused by at least some of the dating terms out there, serious kudos to you. There’s a dating term for basically every situation out there. You could write a vocabulary book just based off of it. These are the dating terms you need to know, so next time you’re out having a conversation, and someone brings up “ghosting,” you know exactly what they mean:
Benching- Showing interest in someone online, but never actually meeting them in real life
Ghosting- When you start ignoring someone out of nowhere and stop replying to their texts, calls, etc. It’s common and also the worst.
Breadcrumbing- Keeping someone on their toes by showing occasional interest in them (liking a picture, texting), but never actually pursuing anything.
Catch and release- When someone shows complete interest in you and then when you finally go on a date, they suddenly lose it. It’s someone who just loves the chase.
Haunting- When someone ghosts you but then still keeps up on you by checking your social media platforms. Talk about confusing.
Catfishing- You probably know this term from the popular TV show “Catfish,” catfishing is when someone online pretends to be someone they’re not to pursue a relationship.
Cuffing season- Basically, when it gets cold outside, and all of sudden, everyone wants someone to cuddle with, it’s cuffing season.
Cushioning- When you’re already in a relationship but keep another person at the sideline, just in case a breakup happens.
Slow fade- A slightly better version of ghosting, the slow fade is when you slowly start to show less interest in someone, to soften the blow.
Situationship- It’s not quite a relationship, but almost. The feelings and emotions are there, but it’s complicated- it’s a situationship.
Zombieing- When your ex-boyfriend or ex-fling suddenly appears out of nowhere, showing all new interest in you.
Papperclipping- It’s similar to zombieing, but this time your ex appears out of nowhere for no particular reason other than to remind you that they still exist.
