Love, labelled by Gen Z

Every generation creates its own language around love, but Gen Z has taken this a step further by naming every possible emotional pattern that many people experience but struggle to explain. This February, in the month of “love”, learning Gen Z relationship lingo is not just about keeping up with trends but it helps make sense of how modern relationships are actually functioning.

These words may sound casual or playful, but they describe very real behaviours. At the same time, it is important to remember that pop-culture language is not the same as therapy language. These terms point to patterns, not diagnoses, and they are often used loosely online without enough context.

Ghosting, commonly understood as suddenly cutting off all communication. From a psychological point of view, ghosting usually reflects avoidance, a way of escaping uncomfortable conversations or emotional responsibility. However, not every conversation that fades away counts as ghosting. If two people lose interest naturally and stop talking, that is disengagement. Ghosting applies when a meaningful connection exists and one person disappears without explanation.

Orbiting adds another layer. This is when someone stops direct communication but continues to watch or react to social media posts. While it can look harmless, it often keeps the other person emotionally stuck. The presence is felt, but clarity is missing, which can be more confusing than a clean goodbye.

Several Gen Z terms describe uncertainty rather than cruelty.

• Breadcrumbing means giving just enough attention to keep someone interested.

• Benching refers to keeping someone as a backup option.

• Cushioning involves maintaining other connections “just in case” a relationship ends.

Online, these are often discussed as dating tactics, even bordering on manipulation but in real life, they usually reflect fear of commitment, fear of being alone, or confusion about one’s own feelings. Not everyone who does this is being manipulative or toxic. Many are simply unsure and emotionally unskilled. Few may have malice aforethought.

Love bombing is another term frequently misunderstood. Social media often labels any strong early affection as love bombing. In reality, genuine enthusiasm is not a problem. Love bombing becomes concerning when intense affection is used to rush intimacy, ignore boundaries, or create emotional dependence.

When it starts to slowly fall apart, the term slow fade describes gradually pulling away to avoid an uncomfortable conversation. Zombieing refers to someone who disappears and later reappears as if nothing happened. This usually says more about their unresolved feelings than about genuine readiness to reconnect.

A soft launch hints at a new partner online, while a hard launch openly reveals the relationship. These terms highlight how public visibility has become part of modern intimacy, where relationships are not just lived privately but managed socially.

Not all Gen Z relationship terms point to problems. Rizz, meaning charm or flirting ability, simply recognises social confidence. In fact, it was voted to be the word of the year in 2023.

What is striking from a mental health perspective is how observant this generation is. These words show an awareness of emotional patterns that older generations often endured without naming. At the same time, naming a behaviour does not explain it fully or excuse it. Online labels offer recognition, not emotional resolution. Love has always been complicated. Gen Z has simply found new words for it, and in doing so, has made conversations about relationships a little more honest. But beware before you go down a rabbit hole of overanalysing everything in your relationships.