Modern dating has developed a whole vocabulary for its least fun patterns — mostly because naming something makes it easier to spot and easier to talk about. None of these terms are complicated once someone explains them plainly. Here's what the most common ones actually mean.
Ghosting
What does ghosting mean?
Ghosting is when someone ends contact suddenly and without explanation — no reply, no closure, just silence. It usually says more about the other person's avoidance of a conversation than about you.
Breadcrumbing
What does breadcrumbing mean?
Breadcrumbing is sending just enough attention — an occasional message, a like, a "thinking of you" — to keep someone interested, without ever following through on an actual date or relationship.
Love Bombing
What is love bombing?
Love bombing is an overwhelming amount of affection, attention or grand gestures very early on, before a real connection has had time to build. It can feel flattering in the moment but is worth noticing as a pattern.
Catfishing
What is catfishing?
Catfishing is creating a fake identity online — often with stolen photos — to deceive someone into a relationship, usually for emotional manipulation or financial gain.
Slow Dating
What does slow dating mean?
Slow dating is the deliberate opposite of rushing — taking real time to get to know someone before assuming exclusivity or seriousness, rather than moving at the fastest possible pace.
Why the Vocabulary Helps
Having a name for a pattern makes it easier to recognise while it's happening, not just in hindsight. If a match's behaviour matches one of these terms, that's useful information — not something to talk yourself out of noticing.
The Bottom Line
Ghosting, breadcrumbing, love bombing, catfishing and slow dating are just shorthand for patterns that already existed long before the terms did. Knowing the words doesn't change how dating works, but it does make it easier to spot what's actually happening and respond accordingly.
