Lovehoney Releases Dating Terminology Guide

A survey of 2,000 adults has revealed the most common toxic traits in dating and relationships. Conducted by Lovehoney, the study also provides a terminology guide for these dating terms going viral on TikTok.

The most common toxic trait experienced while dating is ghosting, which 41% of respondents admitted to encountering. Also experienced by 41% of adults is love bombing, which is where someone showers the other with compliments and affection to seem more likeable.

Other common toxic behaviours are gaslighting, hoovering, and negging. If you’re not sure what these terms mean, there’s no need to worry. Lovehoney’s survey is accompanied by a timeline of when these dating terms became viral. 

“Being aware of the sex and dating terminology makes you empowered with knowledge and information due to the fact that you’ll know what’s the right thing to do when you encounter a particular situation”, commented Callisto Adams, a dating and relationship expert.

“That, in turn, makes you prone to look and practice healthy behaviors and seek or have more positive experiences because you’re already dodging the negative ones”, she added.

Adams also shared her predictions for the next dating terms to go viral. First is ‘Cookie Jarring’ where someone strings an interested party along as a back-up option. The term came about as cookies are kept in a jar and only released when there’s no cake available.

Another trend Adams identifies is ‘Orbiting’ where a romantic interest who ghosted you in the past, but still likes your social media posts and stays in your social orbit in order to keep the connection alive for longer.

You can see the full list of dating terms and find out more about this research at this link.