Tinder's Dating Dictionary Is Bringing Millenial And Gen Z Singles Together

Dating is one area of modern life that has undergone massive changes over the past several decades. What was once an exercise in chance encounters and word of mouth is now made up of downloads and swipes. Instead of a relationship, you may find yourself caught in the throes of a situationship or worse ... ghosted. If you're a millennial or older and new to the world of dating apps, you may be wondering what some of these terms mean and how they're even related to dating.

Fortunately, there is now an official way to bridge the gap between Gen Z and all previous generations when it comes to communicating about the modern process of dating. Tinder, the world's most popular dating app, has released a dating dictionary. While the guide appears to be aimed specifically at Australian daters, most of the terms apply worldwide and were also reflected by 2022's Tinder Year in Swipe Report. Here's a quick refresher on the dating terms most likely to trip up older daters. 

When you're searching the vast sea of Tinder hopefuls for someone that you'd like to enter into a relationship with, you have to develop certain criteria beyond the typical information included in a basic dating profile. This fact has led to the emergence of several dating terms that refer specifically to particular traits or behaviors of potential partners who use the app. For instance, a person who appears to possess a very high, nearly irresistible level of charisma or charm is said to have "rizz".

Someone who engages in behavior similar to catfishing — such as exaggerating their level of financial success or using old photos of themselves — may be accused of "kittenfishing." A person who seems to interview you on a first date rather than engaging in casual, comfortable conversation has taken you out on a "dateview" and is unlikely to be given a second opportunity to spend time with you (unless interrogation is your love language). 

For many singles, the entire purpose of dating is to find a partner you're compatible enough to start a serious relationship with. Of course, in the world of online dating, there are numerous new types of relationships to contend with. While some of these relationship spinoffs — such as friends with benefits — have been around long enough for even elder millennials to be familiar with, others are much newer additions. A "situationship", for example, is Gen Z's term for a pairing that is more than a friendship but less than a serious romantic relationship.

The act of "cushioning" is the younger generation's definition of maintaining several relationships at once so that other options will remain open if your main partner becomes unavailable to you. Millennials and older singles, of course, probably know this behavior by its original name — cheating. It appears that we may have entered the Wild West of dating. Best of luck out there, singles, regardless of your age.