Glossary

New words appear every month: rizz, ick, situationship, orbiting. Each entry explains what the term means, where it came from, and how people actually use it, so you are never the only one in the chat who has to ask.

AFK: AFK stands for away from keyboard: you're temporarily unavailable. A short time estimate can help others know whether to wait or carry on.
ASL: ASL can ask for personal details or intensify a phrase like 'tired asl'. Context tells you which meaning fits, and sharing details remains your choice.
Benching: Benching means keeping someone as a possible option without making the connection a priority. Compare it with breadcrumbing and ask for a real plan.
Breadcrumbing: Breadcrumbing is occasional attention that keeps a connection open without real follow-through. Three chat examples show the pattern and a clear response.
Cushioning: Cushioning means keeping possible romantic alternatives while involved with someone. The fairness question depends on honesty and your agreements.
Delulu: Delulu is playful slang for a belief that runs ahead of the evidence. Learn its fandom roots and how to keep hope separate from assumptions.
Double texting: Double texting means sending another message before a reply arrives. One useful follow-up can be fine; repeated demands for an answer create pressure.
Dry texting: Dry texting means replies that give a conversation little to work with. A small detail or relevant question can help without making every message long.
DTR: DTR means define the relationship: a conversation about what you both want. Learn the acronym, useful questions and what a label can't settle.
Ghosting: Ghosting means cutting off contact without explaining. Learn how it differs from a slow fade, orbiting and a clear goodbye.
IRL: IRL stands for in real life, usually meaning in person or away from a screen. An invitation to meet is a choice, not a requirement of online friendship.
Love bombing: Love bombing brings gifts, praise and big plans faster than trust can grow. Learn how pace and pressure set it apart from plain keenness.
Orbiting: Orbiting means staying visible through views or reactions while avoiding direct contact. A story view isn't a clear request to reconnect.
Red, green and beige flags: Red flags signal concerns, green flags suggest respect, and beige flags are harmless quirks. Texting examples help you tell them apart.
Rizz: Rizz is slang for charm: the ease that makes people enjoy talking to you. Where the word came from, how it is used in chat, and what having it takes.
Roster: A dating roster means several people you're talking to or dating without exclusivity. Fairness depends on honest expectations, not a head count.
Seen-zoned: Seen-zoned means a message shows as read but has no reply. A receipt reports an app state, not the person's reason for leaving the conversation quiet.
Situationship: A situationship is a romantic connection without an agreed relationship status. Three questions can help you decide what you want next.
Slow fade: A slow fade is a gradual drop in contact without a clear ending. Look at the changing pattern, ask once if you want clarity, and choose your next step.
Soft launch and hard launch: A soft launch hints at a relationship; a hard launch identifies it openly. Agree on the photo, audience and tags before either kind of post.
Talking stage: The talking stage is the early period of getting to know someone you may want to date. Interest can grow, but exclusivity needs its own conversation.
The ick: The ick is a sudden drop in attraction. A harmless habit and a crossed boundary deserve different responses, even when both put you off.
Zombieing: Zombieing is returning after an unexplained disappearance. A new message gives you a choice to reconnect, ask questions or leave the chat closed.