<p class="p1">Gen Z has created a new language for relationships in the digital age. For those dating today, here's a breakdown of critical terms that sum up modern romance.</p>

<h3><span data-preserver-spaces="true">1. Situationship</span></h3>
<p><span data-preserver-spaces="true">A situationship is a romantic or sexual relationship with no labels or commitments. It's between casual dating and a full-on relationship but needs more clarity. People in situations hang out regularly, spend time together, and</span><span data-preserver-spaces="true"> </span><span data-preserver-spaces="true">may even be intimate, but there's an unspoken ambiguity about the relationship.</span></p>
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<h3>2. Ghosting</h3>
<p class="p1">Ghosting is when someone suddenly and without explanation stops responding to messages, calls, or any form of communication in a romantic context. It's when one person disappears without closure or explanation. Ghosting is most common in the early stages of dating and has become more prevalent with the rise of online dating apps that allow users to end a conversation quickly and anonymously.</p>
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<h3>3. Breadcrumbing</h3>
<p class="p1">Breadcrumbing is when someone gives another person just enough attention to keep them interested but with no real intention of pursuing a full-on relationship. Breadcrumbing can be reflected in sending sporadic texts or likes on social media to keep the other person interested, to keep them "on the line" but never fully engaging. Breadcrumbing leaves the recipient feeling confused or frustrated because of the inconsistency.</p>
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<h3>4. Cuffing Season</h3>
<p class="p1">Cuffing season is the period from fall to early spring when people are more inclined to be in relationships. The term comes from the idea that people want to "cuff" or settle down with someone during the winter. As the weather gets colder and outdoor activities are limited, many people start looking for more stable, cosy relationships, even if they're just temporary.</p>
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<h3>5. Benching</h3>
<p class="p1">Like breadcrumbing, benching is when someone puts you "on hold" in a romantic context and keeps you around as an option but doesn't commit to any specific relationship or dating plans. This is like being a backup player on a sports team &ndash; waiting on the "bench" until the person decides they're ready to give you more attention.</p>

<h3><strong>6. Orbiting</strong></h3>
<p class="p1">Orbiting is when someone who has stopped communicating with you directly&mdash;maybe after ghosting you&mdash;still engages with you indirectly by interacting with your social media. This can be liking your Instagram posts, watching your stories or reacting to your tweets, giving the impression they're still interested but not reaching out meaningfully. Orbiting leaves many feeling confused about it.</p>
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<h3 class="p1"><b>7. Polyamory</b></h3>
<p class="p1">*Polyamory* is the practice of engaging in multiple romantic or sexual relationships simultaneously, with the knowledge and consent of all parties involved. Unlike open relationships, where the focus is on casual encounters, polyamorous relationships often emphasize emotional connections and long-term bonds with more than one partner. It's a growing concept in younger generations who value relationship freedom and transparency.</p>
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<h3 class="p1"><b>8. Throuple</b></h3>
<p class="p1">A *throuple* is a relationship between three individuals who are all equally involved with one another, sharing emotional and often sexual connections. It challenges the traditional binary relationship model, reflecting the rise of more open, fluid forms of love. While not as common as other relationship structures, the throuple dynamic highlights the expanding definition of a romantic partnership.</p>
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<h3 class="p1"><b>9. Love Bombing</b></h3>
<p class="p1">*Love bombing* refers to overwhelming someone with excessive affection, attention, and praise early in a relationship to manipulate or control them. This behaviour can feel exhilarating at first, but over time, it may be a tactic used by a narcissist or abuser to gain emotional control. Once they have secured the person's attachment, they often withdraw the affection and become controlling or critical, leading to a toxic dynamic.</p>
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<h3 class="p1"><b>10. Micro-Cheating</b></h3>
<p class="p1">Compared to other terms, *micro-cheating* is a relatively new concept that describes seemingly minor acts that may not involve physical infidelity but still blur the lines of emotional or romantic boundaries. These behaviours likely include flirting, maintaining secretive online conversations, or forming intimate emotional connections with others outside the relationship. Micro-cheating can signify deeper problems within a partnership, often leading to trust issues.</p>

<h3 class="p1"><b>11. Gaslighting</b></h3>
<p class="p1">*Gaslighting* isn't exclusive to romantic relationships, as we all can experience it in our social lives. It's become a widely recognized term to highlight different patterns of acts of manipulative behaviour. Gaslighting can occur when someone tries to make their partner doubt their perceptions, memories, or reality. In almost every kind of close relationship, gaslighting can make the victim feel confused, insecure, or even guilty for things they didn't do, allowing the manipulator to maintain control.</p>
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<h3 class="p1"><b>12. Kittenfishing</b></h3>
<p class="p1">*Kittenfishing* is a less severe form of *catfishing*&mdash;a term used to describe people who pretend to be someone else online. On the other hand, kittenfishing describes people who represent themselves slightly better than they are on dating apps or social media. This could involve using heavily filtered or outdated photos, exaggerating hobbies, or pretending to be more successful than you are. While not as deceptive as full-on catfishing, kittenfishing can still lead to disappointment when meeting in person.</p>
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<h3 class="p1">13. Ghostlighting</h3>
<p class="p1">Found primarily in dating relationships, ghostlighting relates to ghosting and gaslighting. Ghostlighting occurs when a heavyweight 'ghost' who disappeared without warning tries to invalidate or lessen the consequences of his actions upon resurfacing. They could act as if there was no gap in communication or make it look as if it was your fault that there was no e-mail from them, which surprises you, so he seems unreasonable to himself. Such a style combines the elements of emotional blackmail and 'pulling back', making the whole situation very uncomfortable for the victim.</p>
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<h3 class="p1">14. Softlaunching</h3>
<p class="p1">In the latter, social media "soft launching" means introducing someone new as a romantic partner in bits and pieces, not fully disclosing the seriousness of the relationship or the person. Two hands joining each other is a reasonable option, making dinner date photos with only hands and plates and no faces, or tagging someone without a description. It allows people to see what it is like to have people be willing to say that they love them before they declare that openly in public.</p>
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<h3 class="p1">15. Zombieing</h3>
<p class="p1">Zombieing refers to those instances when someone disappears but, after some time, suddenly comes back, pretending that everything is as it was before they went away. He hands them out and shakes them without elaboration a few weeks, months or years later. Couponing creates a lot of internal tension among many people. On the one hand, there is such a thing as withholding the return, which causes curiosity or hope; on the other, there is anger over the previous grab and sprint.</p>
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<p class="p1">These terms assist us in navigating dating as it develops further during the modern era.</p>

The Ultimate Gen-Z Dictionary to Relationships

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