Ghosting? 10 dating terms coined by Gen Zs you should know
I’m almost certain you have come across some socializing lingo used by Gen Zs in their interactions with their peers that got you asking what they could possibly mean. You’d be surprised just how familiar the definitions of the terms are.
We all remember being a teenager, and quite frankly all the drama that surrounded the dating scene in those morphing years.
Flashforward to today and you’re now probably hearing your kids or niblings talk about cuffing season, and just how maybe one of them got zombied, or about the situationships that are about to have the dreaded DTR conversation.
If those terms made absolutely no sense to you, then you’re in the right place! The dating scene looks and sounds a little different for Gen Zs in comparison to that of millennials.
So we put together a Gen Z dating slang guide to help you navigate the intriguing dating times redefined by Generation Z.
1. Ghosting
So, this is not really a term Gen-Zs came up with, millennials have been using it for decades! But if you are not familiar with ghosting, let us help you understand it better. It’s going off the radar on someone. So, you are dating someone and they suddenly stop responding to you or cut you off completely without any explanation. The act of cutting someone off abruptly without giving that person an explanation, that’s ghosting.
2. Zombieing
When someone ghosts you, but then decides to come back into your life after weeks or months like nothing happened.
3. Caspering
It’s a gentler form of ghosting. Inspired by Casper, the cartoon-friendly ghost, the term refers to the behavior of singles to let people down gently before they ghost.
4. Sneaky link
Refers to someone you’re seeing or hooking up with secretly.
5. Breadcrumbing
Does he make you feel special every time you talk to each other, and the next moment, he’s gone? Well, this is pretty much what breadcrumbing is. It is the act in which a person gives another person mixed signals, meaning they flirt with you but just enough to lure you in, not commit. So you are left wondering about the true intentions of the person. In the simplest form, it’s leading someone on without really planning on giving them commitment. It is actually a sign of emotional abuse that you need to look out for.
6. Benching
Benching in sports means asking a player to sit on the bench because they are not allowed or good enough to win the match. It could also be because the player is injured or something else. Benching in dating is very similar to this. So, you bench someone when they do something to upset you or don’t necessarily meet your dating requirements. So, basically putting them on notice – less interaction, fewer meetings, calls, or texts.
7. Cuffing season
When it’s cold outside and all you want to do is snuggle up with someone, this is the cuffing season! This season is the time couples get cuffed and uncuffed. So, people shack up with someone during the colder months without a long-term commitment in mind.
8. DTR
DTR is an acronym for ‘define the relationship’. When the initial phase of holding hands and enjoying cute little things passes, comes the time most people despise. Yes, we are talking about the time when you have to define the relationship. Are we exclusive? Are we dating? Should we take the next step in the relationship? Defining a relationship is one of the most nerve-wracking moments in most relationships, even if you are sure of your partner’s decision.
9. Situationship
In this time and age, non-committal relationships are very common that millennials probably remember as “friends with benefits”. So a situationship is basically a romantic relationship that exists but remains undefined. So, think of a casual and commitment-free relationship that you know would never be more than that. Talk about DTR!
10. Fleabagging
Sounds weird? Wait till we give you some perspective that will make you realize that we have all done it. Fleabagging is the trend that involves dating and breaking up, then making up with the wrong person over and over again. Sound familiar? Whether you blame it on your partner’s charming self or your “bad taste” in men or women, if you find yourself getting back together with someone you know isn’t right for you, sorry to break it to you but you’re a fleabagger!
Also read:
The Millennial: How ghosting became the ‘new normal’ for ending relationships
NN Lifestyle – 5 ways to start a hard conversation with your partner
NN Lifestyle – Is social media enough ground for someone to end a relationship?
The Millennial – It’s not a man who will steal your woman; another woman will