Akanksha Bhatt for Homegrown
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Modern Love Dictionary: Navigating The Terms That Gen Z Can’t Stop Using

Homegrown Staff

Dating is hard enough and we make it even harder with the excess of terms we use to describe the various intricacies that go behind relationships (or non-relationship). We bring to you a list of terms that will have you understand whatever it is when your friends are talking about when they complain about being zombie-ed or being benched. Here is a list of terms that we can’t stop hearing of:

Benching: When you don’t really want to date someone seriously but want to keep them in your life as an option so you lead them on for those moments.

Breadcrumbing: When you lead someone on without having an actual intention of committing.

Curving: When you’re dodging attention and affection from someone who is interested in you.

Daterview: A date that feels more like a job interview.

DTR: Stands for down to relationship where two people discuss engaging in a relationship and adding labels to it.

Eskimo brothers/Pogo Sisters: When two people have been with the same person but still continue to maintain a good relationship.

Fluffer: Someone who helps other people with their relationships but can’t seem to get themselves in a relationship.

Firedooring: When one person has all the power in the relationship.

Ghosting: Ghosting is when someone cuts contact with a person they’re seeing on all platforms without any prior warning.

Haunting: When someone lurks around your Instagram after they have ghosted you.

Negging: When you subtly keep taunting your partner without actually confronting the issue.

Orbiting: When someone follows you on social media and likes your pictures and responds to you just enough to let you know that they are interested.

Platonic: A non-sexual relationship.

Roaching: When someone you are involved with does not tell you that they are in a relationship

Situationship: When two people do everything that entails as part of a relationship but do not commit to labels. An act of almost dating instead of actually being in a relationship or having that conversation.

Slow fade: When a relationship or a situationship slowly fades away without any of the two acknowledging the same.

Stashing: When you really like someone but you notice that they are not mentioning you on your social media and that is a cause for stress for you.

Sunday Test: Two people spend a Sunday together to see if they are actually compatible with each other.

Text Black Hole: When you have been texting someone for what seems to be a lifetime but you both never get around to meeting each other.

Zombie-ing: When someone suddenly hits you up long after they have ghosted you in the past.

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