Tinder Launches Gen Z Dating Dictionary to Get Older Singles in on the Cool Kids' Love Lingo

Do you feel sus-ed out that Gen Z would trick you into their slang? Slay. Dank. Emojis. Gen Z speaks a language that's alien to the generations before them. So to avoid FOMO (the fear of missing out), Tinder has put together a "dating dictionary" of the terms widely used by Gen Z singles to avoid confusion among older generations, reports news.com.au.

The idea for the dictionary comes from research that showed that 62 percent of 18 to 25-year-olds feel they speak a very different language than older singles when it comes to dating. So a guide to avoiding communication barriers is a helpful idea.

Georgia Grace, Sydney-based sex and relationships expert, explains that the dictionary is not exclusive to people interested in dating. It will benefit everyone, even those not dating or in a relationship. Sounds cool, right? Some may say that since people generally tend to date those of their time and age, what's the need for a generational dictionary?

Addressing this, Grace said: "While it's not too much of a concern—because typically people are dating within their generation—the dictionary will make it easier to have dating conversations across different generations." 

"It is fascinating to read," she added about the dictionary. A report published in December, Tinder Year In Swipe, has a significant number of Gen Z terminologies in it. Gen Z is open to exploring all kinds of relationships and isn't prioritizing committed relationships over everything else. Naturally, they have different terms for different stages of the relationship they are in.

The sex and relationship expert shared, "Predominantly it's the young singles who are coining these new phrases and terms to loosely define their relationship status and they're going viral on social media and being shared among their friend groups." She also emphasized the evolution of language within the generations. 

"Language is constantly evolving but with the use of tech, we are seeing it change even quicker," said Grace. "It evolves at such a rapid pace that even I have to ask someone from my team to translate a new dating term sometimes—and it's my job is to stay on top of relationship trends." 

With each passing year, the terms are increasing. Almost every year, a new terminology or phrase is coined by Gen Z and it becomes a norm on social media platforms and dating sites. One of the terms highlighted by the dating app's dictionary, which people over the age of 25 have probably never heard before, is "cushioning." It refers to the practice of keeping several backup relationships to soften the blow if your main one doesn't last. Well! Who thought? For us, a cushion is a symbol of comfort and decoration.

Another interesting addition to the Gen Z dating dictionary is "situationship," meaning the sticky in-between status when someone is more than a hookup but you're not quite a couple. Another relatively unknown term to be featured is "dateview," coined to describe the times when a date feels more like an interview. 

According to Grace, the year 2023 is likely to feature new and unusual terms like "kitten fishing" and "rizz." Phew! We're all struggling to keep up with the terms and would love to get hold of that dictionary.