Dating, Defined

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Dating, Defined is HUD App's official dating glossary — a growing collection of clear, no-nonsense definitions covering dating slang, relationship structures, attachment styles, and non-monogamy terms. Whether you're trying to figure out what "orbiting" means or want the real difference between polyamory and ethical non-monogamy, each entry gives you a direct answer first, with links to related terms and full guides where you want to go deeper.

What is aftercare? Why checking in after sex or a scene matters, in kink and beyond.

Aftercare

What is anxious attachment? The pattern of craving closeness and reassurance, explained.

Anxious Attachment

What is avoidant attachment? Why closeness can feel like a threat, explained.

Avoidant Attachment

What is a beige flag? The mild, quirky cousin of a red flag, explained.

Beige Flag

What does benching mean in dating? Being kept as a backup option, explained.

Benching

What is breadcrumbing? Getting just enough attention to stay interested, explained.

Breadcrumbing

What is catfishing? Using a fake identity to deceive someone online, explained.

Catfishing

What is compersion? Feeling joy for a partner's happiness with someone else.

Compersion

What is cuffing season? Why fall and winter make people want to couple up.

Cuffing Season

What does curving mean in dating? Rejecting someone indirectly, explained.

Curving

What does delulu mean in dating? The self-aware term for hopeful delusion, explained.

Delulu

What is a DTR? How to have the "define the relationship" conversation.

DTR (Define The Relationship)

What is enthusiastic consent? Clear, active agreement to sex, explained.

Enthusiastic Consent

What is ethical non-monogamy? The umbrella term for consensual multi-partner relationships.

Ethical Non-Monogamy (ENM)

What is a friends with benefits (FWB) arrangement?

Friends With Benefits (FWB)

What is gaslighting? Making someone doubt their own reality, explained.

Gaslighting

What is ghosting? Why someone disappears without explanation, explained.

Ghosting

What is a green flag in dating? The signs of a genuinely good match.

Green Flag

What is hookup culture? Casual sex without commitment, explained.

Hookup Culture

What is kitchen table polyamory? When metamours are comfortable together, explained.

Kitchen Table Polyamory

What is kitten fishing? The milder, more common cousin of catfishing.

Kitten Fishing

What does it mean to be left on read or simmering?

Left on Read / Simmering

What is love bombing? Why intense early affection can be a warning sign, not a compliment.

Love bombing

What is main character energy? Prioritizing your own story while dating.

Main Character Energy

What is a metamour? Your partner's other partner, explained.

Metamour

What is micro-cheating? The small behaviors that blur the line, explained.

Micro-cheating

What does monogamish mean? Mostly monogamous, with agreed exceptions.

Monogamish

What does NCMO mean? The BYU dating-culture term for a non-committal makeout, explained.

NCMO

What is NRE? The honeymoon-phase rush of a new connection, explained.

New Relationship Energy (NRE)

What does NSA mean in dating? No strings attached, explained.

No Strings Attached (NSA)

What does orbiting mean? When someone ghosts you but keeps watching your socials.

Orbiting

What is paperclipping? A small, low-stakes reappearance after silence.

Paperclipping

What is parallel polyamory? Keeping relationships separate, explained.

Parallel Polyamory

What is polyamory? How multiple committed relationships work, with consent and honesty.

Polyamory

What is a polycule? How polyamorous networks, metamours, and communication actually work.

Polycule

What is a red flag in dating? Warning signs worth taking seriously.

Red Flag

What is relationship anarchy? Rejecting relationship hierarchy, explained.

Relationship Anarchy

What is roster dating? Seeing multiple people at once, explained.

Roster Dating

What does sapiosexual mean? Being drawn to intelligence, explained.

Sapiosexual

What is secure attachment? The balanced attachment style, explained.

Secure Attachment

What is a situationship? The undefined relationship stage, explained.

Situationship

What is soaking? The purity-culture workaround explained, and why it's still sex.

Soaking

What's a softlaunch vs. hardlaunch? How people reveal new relationships online.

Softlaunch / hardlaunch

What is solo polyamory? Dating multiple people without a primary partner.

Solo Polyamory

What is submarining? When a ghost resurfaces like nothing happened.

Submarining

What is the talking stage? The pre-dating phase, explained.

Talking Stage

What does unicorn mean in non-monogamy? The term explained.

Unicorn

What is zombieing? Ghosting's sequel, explained.

Zombieing