Modern dating vocabulary for Valentine’s Day
In the fast-paced world of modern dating, keeping up with the latest vocabulary can be
challenging. As the dating landscape continues to shift and more people turn to social media
or dating apps, we see new terms and phrases being used to describe various aspects of
romantic relationships. With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, here are some of the dating
words and phrases you might hear or see.
1. situationship
A situationship is when two people are romantically involved, but it’s not very clear or
committed. It’s not just casual dating, but it’s also not a serious, exclusive relationship.
“After months of undefined feelings and unclear expectations, Sarah realised she was stuck
in a situationship with Ravi, unsure of what would happen next.”
2. red flag/ green flag/ beige flag
In relationships, these symbols are used metaphorically when describing a significant other.
A red flag is like a warning or a possible issue, a green flag shows positive aspects, and
a beige flag suggests something that might not be inherently problematic but is often used to
describe a character trait that is unusual or unoriginal.
“Sarah noticed a red flag when Tom avoided introducing her to his friends, but the fact
that he always brought her breakfast every morning was a green flag. He always talked
when they watched films together and Sarah found this to be a beige flag.”
3. sliding into DMs
This phrase describes the act of sending a direct message, often on social media, to someone
you’re interested in romantically or socially.
“After weeks of putting it off, Lucas mustered the courage to slide into Yasmin’s Instagram
DMs and start a conversation.”
4. love bombing
Love bombing is when someone shows another person intense affection and attention,
usually at the start of a relationship, with the aim of gaining control or manipulating that
person.
“At the beginning of their relationship, Nina overwhelmed Marco with love bombing,
showering her with compliments and gifts to gain her affection.”
5. orbiting
Orbiting means staying connected with someone on social media, liking their posts, and
staying somewhat involved. However, it involves avoiding direct communication with them.
“Despite their breakup, Kai couldn’t help but continue orbiting around Liam’s social
media profiles, liking his posts and keeping tabs on his life.”
6. breadcrumbing
Breadcrumbing is when you send occasional, playful or flirtatious messages to keep
someone interested, but without any plans to commit.
“We realised that Tom was breadcrumbing her when he would send occasional flirty
messages but never committed to making plans.”
7. pocketing
Pocketing occurs when someone keeps their partner a secret from friends and family,
indicating a lack of commitment.
“Suspecting that he was pocketing her, Emily confronted Jake about his reluctance to
introduce her to his friends.”
8. ghosting
Ghosting is when someone suddenly cuts off all communication without explanation,
typically in the context of a relationship.
“Mari was devastated that Aaliyah ghosted her after just one date.”
9. soft launch/ hard launch
These are terms borrowed from the business world, used to describe different approaches to
introducing a romantic relationship to the public or to a wider circle of friends and family.
A soft launch is used to descibe the act of subtly including a new partner in a post, photo or
video shared online. This is a tactic often used to announce a change in relationship status
without going into detail about a new partner.
On the other hand, a hard launch is a more formal and public announcement of a
relationship.
“We arranged to hard launch our relationship at Atik’s birthday party.”
“Lacie and Steve soft launched their relationship on social media when they both shared a
picture of the restaurant they were visting. We weren’t completely sure if they were together
but they did tag each other in the photo.”
10. rizz
As a shortened form of charisma, rizz is used to describe style, charm or attractiveness. It’s
sometimes used to refer to attracting a romantic partner. Each year, dictionaries select their
Word of the Year. In 2023, Oxford University Press announced that this was their Word of
the Year after a head-to-head competition including eight popular words.
“I really liked her. Our date was amazing and she had a lot of rizz.”
