Dating in 2025 doesn’t sound or even look the way it used to. In fact, it’s low-key a whole new language. These days, Gen Z isn’t just dating; they’re vibing through situationships, spiraling over the dreaded DTR talk, and making TikToks about singing for their bae.

If you’re a millennial (or older) and none of these words make sense, don’t stress. You’re not being left on read. We’ve rounded up some of the most popular slang terms Gen Z kids are saying when it comes to love, crushes, and everything in between, so you can keep up with the tea in today’s dating world.

Affordating

If anything, Gen Zs have always been practical and direct, and “affordating” exemplifies this trait, referring to the trend where couples go on budget-friendly dates. Who says you can’t be romantic and thrifty at the same time?

Example: “Park dates or exploring night markets is peak affordating.”

BAE

Joining the ranks of pet names is “Bae,” which is an acronym for “before anyone else” (aww!). It’s often used to refer to someone’s significant other or crush, or a shortened term for “baby.”

Example: “Hanging out with bae at the beach!”

Beige Flag

In dating, “red flags” are signs of negative, unhealthy, or manipulative behavior, while “green flags” are the exact opposite. But what happens when it’s a “beige flag”?

This term describes the odd traits in a partner that are neither good nor bad. It may catch you off guard, but it’s not that big of an issue to make that person less desirable.

A good example of a “beige flag” is someone who has dull or unoriginal responses to prompts found on dating app bios — like answering, “just ask” or including their opinion on the Oxford comma or why pineapples shouldn’t be on pizzas in their profiles. These are answers that don’t say anything about one’s personality other than they’re overly particular about certain things, which, in Gen Z language, is a “beige flag.”

Example: “My roommate’s beige flag is how they leave dirty dishes in the sink.”

Benching

Similar to sports, to bench means to set aside. In dating, it typically means casually dating someone without committing. It’s similar to stringing someone along and keeping them on the sidelines, often with multiple partners at a time.

Example: “I think he’s benching me. He replies just enough to keep me interested but never makes real plans.”

Breadcrumbing

If you’re familiar with mixed signals or being led on, then “breadcrumbing” is a concept that is almost too easy to pick up on. This is the act of providing your significant other with just the right amount of affection and attention without actually having any intentions of progressing into the relationship.

Example: “If she’s only liking your posts and dropping emojis but never making plans, that’s classic breadcrumbing.”

Catch Feels

Gen Z does enjoy shortening their words and phrases, and this basically means developing romantic feelings for someone, a.k.a. “catching feelings.”

Example: “Be careful, you might just catch feels if you keep hanging out with her that much.”

Cuffing Season

This interesting slang term is influenced by the weather and refers to the time of year when single people begin looking for a relationship. “Cuffing Season” usually begins in the colder months of October, lasting until Valentine’s Day, and is a period when people are looking for companionship during the bleak winter months. The word “cuff” references handcuffs, but in slang it actually means “hooking up.”

Example: “Everyone's suddenly on dating apps. You can tell cuffing season has officially arrived.”

Dry Dating

For a long time, dating has been synonymous with going out for drinks. But with Gen Zs leading the wellness movement and reinventing socializing and nightlife culture through coffee raves and other daytime events, “dry dating” or the act of abstaining from alcohol while going on dates, has become a thing. This trend leads to more genuine connections, as daters can communicate better, be more present, and engage in conversations.

Example: “I suggest coffee instead of drinks since I’m more into dry dating these days.”

DTR

Stands for “define the relationship,” which refers to the conversation when two people finally label the relationship or help them get on the same page. The talk is usually triggered by the question, “What are we?”

Example: “He totally dodged my attempt to DTR last night. Guess he’s not ready.”

Freak Matching

This dating trend was coined this year by the Plenty of Fish dating app and refers to daters looking for partners with shared quirks and qualities. The term originated from Tinashe’s song “Nasty,” but the everyday term is more wholesome compared to the song’s explicit undertones.

Wanting someone to “match one’s freak” also means finding a partner who enjoys doing the same things you do.

Example: “You know the chemistry’s crazy when the freak matching is on point!”

Ghosting

To ghost is Gen Z slang for ignore. The term essentially describes scenarios wherein a person stops responding to your texts or simply disappears (like a ghost), insinuating that they’re not interested.

Example: “He kept making plans and then ghosting, so I stopped reaching out.”

ILY

A common term but still very much used in today’s dating lingo, ILY simply means “I love you.”

Example: “She texted me ‘ILY’ out of nowhere and I’ve been smiling ever since.”

Ick

This refers to what you would consider “turn-offs” in a potential partner. However, it’s often about something superficial like wearing flip-flops or discovering they kiss their dogs on the mouth.

Example: “I got the ick when he chewed with his mouth open on our first date.”

Love Bombing

This term refers to an emotionally abusive behavior wherein someone showers their significant other with love, gifts, and affection for the purpose of manipulation. The word “bomb” is rooted in “bombard,” describing the act of bombarding someone with so much love it seems almost too good to be true.

Some examples include excessive clinginess, saying “I love you” early on in the relationship, and sending too many gifts. Although these may be considered normal behavior at the start of a relationship, they can also be signs of love bombing, which is a manipulation tactic. If things feel like they’re moving too fast, be vigilant!

Example: “He went from barely texting back to full-on love bombing me with poems and playlists.”

Situationship

The lack of “DTR” often leads to this term, which is a romantic or sexual relationship that remains undefined. It’s a label that describes being somewhere in the middle: a relationship that’s more than a casual hookup but not quite a committed one. This allows partners to come and go as they please, which can often result in someone always being led on.

It may also be people’s way of escaping the expectations of being in a typical relationship.

Example: “He’s posting you on close friends but not the main feed? That’s classic situationship energy.”

Shrekking

This new, viral dating term might sound fun and all, considering it came from the popular animated film, but it’s actually quite savage!

“Shrekking” means dating someone you’re not attracted to in the hopes of being treated better in return. Much like how Princess Fiona ended up with the brute but soft-hearted Ogre in the film and lived Happily Ever After, this dating trend hopes to mimic that.

However, if you get Shrekked it means the person you lowered your standards for still ended up playing villain. So, to get Shrekked is to get hurt anyway. So much for “dating down.”

Example: “I thought I couldn’t get hurt by dating down, but I still got Shrekked!”

Soft Launch

In the age of social media, everyone seems to want to get in on our love lives, which makes it slightly overwhelming to announce once you do start a new relationship. This trend is the act of sharing obscure photos of your new partner online. Think of it as a teaser for a film, where you’re only showing snippets of your new partner. Some popular examples include a photo of the two of you holding hands, a backshot, or even an artsy silhouette.

This is usually followed by the “Hard Launch,” which is when you reveal the face of your partner or post a photo together, making it “Instagram official.”

Example: “He posted a hand-holding shot! Definitely a soft launch of his new girlfriend.”

Soul Tie

The Gen Z term for “soulmate,” this term describes a person with whom you share a deep emotional and spiritual bond.

One type of “Soul Tie” is a “Twin Flame,” which refers to the intense connection that can either be romantic or platonic. It’s based on the concept of one soul being split into two bodies. So if you’ve found a “Soul Tie,” consider yourself one of the lucky ones.

Example: “They met once, but the connection was so strong it felt like a soul tie.”