From cuffing season to orbiting and yassify, the A to (Generation) Z of modern dating terms – how many do you know?

The Sun

3 days ago

SHAKESPEARE said that 'the course of true love never did run smooth' – and that was before online dating.
Finding your perfect match has its challenges, and Gen Z boasts an ever-evolving glossary of terms to describe their romantic lives.
To help you keep up, read our A-Z of modern dating lingo and know your DINKs from your kittenfishers.
A – Affordating: Low-cost dates, like a picnic in the park or a romantic stroll, if you can't afford fancy flowers and expensive meals.
B – Benching: Keeping a potential partner on the back burner while you pursue others.
C – Cuffing season: Spanning from October to just after Valentine's Day, this is the time it's deemed best to commit to a relationship.
D – DINK: Both working and you've got no kids? Lucky you — you're a DINK. The acronym stands for 'dual income, no kids'.
E – Ethical non-monogamy: It's not cheating if you talk about it first — or so say believers in this dating style, where couples agree to have other partners.
F – FLR: A 'female led relationship' sees traditional gender roles flipped. Women make the majority of the decisions or earn the most money. It should hardly be worthy of comment in 2025!
G – Green flag: The opposite of red flag, this term is used by Gen Z for positive qualities in a romantic partner, such as being a good listener, sharing interests or getting on with your friends.
H – Hard launch: Not just for celebs, this is where one or both partners confirm the relationship on social media with pics or a status change.
I – Ick: Olivia Attwood made the term popular on the 2017 series of Love Island. Getting the ick involves developing a sharp revulsion towards a potential or current partner.
The things i've learned as a gen-z traveller
J – Jekylling: When someone shows you their 'best self' at first, but later reveals a much darker or toxic side. Named after alter-egos Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.
K – Kittenfishing: If catfishing is creating a completely fake online ID, then kittenfishing is its less extreme cousin. It involves, for example, using old photos or exaggerating qualities.
L – Love bombing: Showering a potential partner with excessive affection and gifts early in a relationship.
M – Micro-cheating: Any blurred-line interactions which could be seen as cheating, such as private messaging someone of the opposite sex without your partner knowing or even liking their Insta snaps.
N – Negging: Using insulting or negative comments about someone.
O – Orbiting: Being ghosted means never hearing from someone again — but an 'orbiter' is an ex who lurks, watching your social media.
P – Pocketing: When a date avoids introducing you to friends and family or posting about you on social media, keeping you 'in their pocket'.
Q – Quiet quitting: The act of emotionally disengaging from a relationship without actually ending it.
R – Rizz: Shorthand for the word charisma, rizz is the ability to charm and attract someone using confidence, style or good chat.
S – Ship: To ship two people means you're rooting for them to be together.
T – Talking stage: The period before a couple commit to a relationship, but do have some level of romantic or sexual involvement — which, confusingly, often goes beyond just talking.
U – Undercover dating: Otherwise known as sneaking around, this is when you keep a relationship secret as you get to know each other.
V – Vibe check: Basically a first date, and a chance to check if you click.
W – Win: A successful move in dating or flirting, like scoring a kiss.
X – Xennial dating: The outdated practices of Gen X and millennials. If you prefer face-to-face to WhatsApp and have never used Hinge, this term may well apply to you.
Y – Yassify: To make yourself look good to impress.
Z – Zombieing: When someone who ghosted you suddenly reaches out, it's like they are back from the dead — hence, zombieing.
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