English Slang for Dating and Relationships
When it comes to dating, there's a lot of English slang you should know if you want to have the best experience meeting and connecting with people.
This article will introduce casual dating expressions, including special vocabulary for text messaging, relationship types and even specific dating styles. Keep reading to learn it all!
English Dating Slang
Red/Green/Beige Flag
When talking about dating, people often mention "flags" with different colors, each one representing something different.
Red flags are signs that a potential romantic partner may be dangerous or simply not a good match.
He had a pack of cigarettes in his jacket. That's a red flag; I hate cigarette smoke.
Green flags are the opposite — things you like or appreciate in a partner. This term isn't used as often, however.
So what's a "beige flag"? Something in the middle: Beige flags indicate unusual habits or traits that are neither very good nor very bad.
Jo arranges the food in her fridge in alphabetical order! That's a bit of a beige flag, but we're still dating.
Stashing
If you "stash" something, you put it away or out of sight.
For example, a child may quickly stash some candy so their teacher doesn't see it, or you may stash a little bit of money to avoid spending it all now.
So how does this relate to dating? Well, if you're in a relationship with someone, but you've never met their friends or family, your partner might be hiding — or stashing — you from them!
A
We've been dating for six months, but he won't post pictures of us on social media.
B
It sounds like he's stashing you.
Situationship
If something is more than a friendship but not quite a serious relationship, it's probably a "situationship."
This word is a "portmanteau," or a word created by combining two other words' sounds and meanings. In this case, we have a combination of "situation" and "relationship."
Situationships often cause one or both partners to feel confused or frustrated because things aren't clear.
A
So, are you two dating?
B
Not really. It's a … situationship.
Benching
This word comes from sports, when a coach makes a player sit on the bench instead of play. In this usage, it's a verb, as in, "If you make that mistake again, I'm benching you."
In dating, "benching" someone means not giving them your full attention, perhaps because your feelings for them aren't very strong. Like a benched athlete, that person is still in the game but isn't actually "playing."
I feel like he's benching me. He's never serious about meeting or hanging out.
Ghosting
There are a few spooky-sounding words on our list, and the first is "ghosting."
Ghosting someone means suddenly ending communication with them. Like a ghost, it's like you've disappeared!
Ghosting is a rude thing to do to someone, and being ghosted can be frustrating, especially if you felt like you had a good connection with the other person.
I thought we were getting along well, so I was surprised when she ghosted me.
Zombieing
The opposite of ghosting is "zombieing."
What if the same person who ghosted you a few months ago suddenly contacts you again without an explanation? Your relationship with this person was "dead," but now it's back! Sounds like a zombie, doesn't it?
I just got zombied by Terry. He hasn't called me in months!
Haunting
"Haunting" is our final scary word, and it's the lighter version of zombieing.
Imagine that you ended a relationship with someone and you two no longer speak. However, sometimes that person "likes" something you post on social media. Even though you don't see or talk to them anymore, they're still watching what you do online. You're being haunted!
Sophie just liked another one of my posts. It's been six months; I wish she'd stop haunting me and move on!
Related article: Spooky Halloween Idioms You Can Use All Year
Cuffing season
Fall and winter are popular times to begin relationships. People like the comfort of a partner when the weather gets cold and when holidays like Christmas are near.
That's why the end of the year is sometimes called "cuffing season." It comes from the word "handcuffs" — the nuance is that you're attaching yourself to someone.
Will the relationship last when spring comes? That depends on the couple …
It's almost cuffing season, so Mei's been going on a lot of dates recently.
Freckling
Freckles are the small brown spots that some people have on their faces or other parts of their bodies. Freckles can appear or become darker when the skin is exposed to sunshine.
Unlike cuffing season, "freckling" is dating specifically in the warmer months of the year but usually not after that. These kinds of relationships are also sometimes called "summer flings."
It was just freckling; we didn't see each other after September.
It was just a summer fling; we didn't see each other after September.
(If you want to learn more summertime expressions, we have an article full of them here! ☀️)
Dawn dating
Dawn is the time of day when the sun begins to rise. Most people's idea of dates involve activities in the evening, such as dinner, late movies or perhaps cocktails at a bar.
But what about meeting early in the day instead? That's exactly what dawn dating is — going on dates before noon.
A
So far, we've met for breakfast and a few morning jogs.
B
Dawn dating, huh? I should try that.
Slow fade
People often don't want to hurt someone's feelings by suddenly ending communication with them.
Instead, they may take longer to respond to messages and generally be less active in the other person's life … until they're eventually gone completely. This is called the "slow fade."
The slow fade helped me avoid having an uncomfortable break-up conversation.
Simp
This is a very casual term for a person — usually male — who tries too hard to get the attention of a romantic partner. The nuance is that the person is weak or too eager to please the person they like.
Johnny is such a simp; he'll do absolutely anything his girlfriend tells him.
Thirsty
Normally, "thirsty" simply means that someone wants something to drink.
As slang, however, it refers to a strong desire for romantic attention from someone. It usually has a negative nuance.
The bar was full of thirsty university students ready to party on their spring break.
Ever since she broke up with her boyfriend, Chelsea's been acting really thirsty.
Talking / Seeing
Yes, even simple words like these have new meanings in the world of dating!
When two people are "talking," they're moving toward a romantic relationship but they're not there yet; they may or may not begin dating officially.
She and I have been talking for a little while, but we're not really a couple.
On the other hand, if two people are "seeing" each other, it means they're a real couple.
Miles and Gwen have been seeing each other for a few months now.
DTR
This acronym stands for "Define The Relationship."
As we've seen from some of the other terms on this list, it can sometimes be hard to know what kind of relationship people are in; are they only friends, are they dating or are they somewhere in between?
DTR refers to the act of clearly deciding what the relationship status is. No more guessing!
I really want to know if Jun feels the same way I do. It's time for the DTR talk.
Wrap-up
Like all slang, new dating terms are always appearing while others disappear. But the basic ups and downs of dating will never change, so people will likely always have creative ways to talk about it!
For more useful English slang, check out our focus article here.
