Popular dating terms of 2024!

Traditional types of relationships are undergoing changes. Online dating has caught up even with older age group individuals. New dating terms are coined every year. What were these new terms of 2024?

New and popular dating terms of 2024

Relationship and dating landscape is changing. Online dating is getting common in all age groups. Dating behaviors are changing and some are trending.

Accordingly, new dating terms are emerging and the dating dictionary is getting expanded over the years. Similarly new terms cropped up in 2024. The most commonly used terms in this outgoing year are:

Breadcrumbing

This word is used to describe an online dating in which a person sends flirty messages to another person but has no intention to turn it into a serious relationship.

The sent messages are called breadcrumbs. The person who gets the flirty messages gets emotionally involved in this dating but it never results in any meaningful commitment from the opposite person. This could be stressful and taxing.

Zombieing

In this type of dating, a person tries to form a connection with you but suddenly disappears. Later, the same person reappears but does not even mention or address the previous disappearance leaving you confused. There is no word of sorry from the erring person.

Zombie is ‘rising after death’. Hence the term. Like breadcrumbing, this leads to frustration of the person who faces this ‘zombie’.

Benching

In this, a person keeps one person as a backup and simultaneously dates another person actively. The love flame in the person who is benched keeps glowing due to sporadic flirty messages from the ‘bencher’.

But this relationship takes the ‘benched’ nowhere. There is no progress in the relationship. This causes frustration in the ‘benched’ person. This is equal to being sidelined or kept sitting on a bench as in sports where backup person remains on the bench waiting for the turn if it comes.

Love bombing

This is often seen in both in-person and online dating. One love partner gives immense love, affection, care, gifts, and compliments to the opposite person. But this display is only in the early part of the relationship. After this period, the showered love gets less or disappears totally.

This display is only to garner attention and love and establish control over the ‘love bombed’ partner. It makes the latter dependent on the ‘love bombing’ partner. However, this is bad in the long run. It is an act of manipulation and could harm the relationship later on. It could lead to aggression and control tactics and upset the healthy balance and space of the partners.

Chameleoning

In this, one partner changes individual hobbies, preferences, likes or dislikes to get in line with the partner whom  the person is trying to woo. This is similar to a chameleon who changes color to adapt to the surroundings.

It is an attempt to appear compatible with the wooed partner. The wooing person might win the partner but the relationship might turn unhealthy in later stages. Additionally, it can cause emotional issues in both.

Eclipsing

In eclipsing, the person tries to adapt to the likes of the other partner. This may not necessarily be to woo but it might be even to just maintain and continue with the relationship. The person might ‘eclipse’ one’s likes and dislikes to be in line with the other partner and let the relationship be good and smooth.

However, the person doing so might lose self identity and the relationship dynamics might turn souf over time. Though a new term, such type of relationship and dating are common in South Asian societies like India where a woman is reared to eclipse her interests and likes to get in line with the family of her husband. This kills her identity and leads to mental issues in her.

Affordating

Dates are expensive and can pinch the pockets. In response to the inflation and rising costs of dating, some couples opt for this type of dating. Here, the connections are right and meaningful. However, the couples prefer to have low-cost outings and dates. It is well-planned to suit the pockets and the people involved in the romance.

Also, read What is contra dating? Know its pros and cons!

This is a healthy dating trend where extravaganza is out. Hence, it is budget- friendly and teaches a person to save and at the same time enjoy. Moreover, it can have a creative edge to it. Healthy home made foods are preferred to unhealthy junk foods of outside. Free or low-cost entertainment programs are opted in place of clubs. It increases intimacy and fosters healthy partnership.

Sober dating

In this, the partners try to connect with each other without being under the influence of alcohol or drugs. It is healthy dating and connection is not over hard drinks or illegal substances.

Here, importance is given to get into an intentional and not accidental relationship with heart and mind.