I’m Anna Stevenson, the Word Watcher. Back in the Dark Ages, when I started dating my husband (Mr Word Watcher), things were much simpler. You met someone nice, went out for dinner, and decided if you liked each other enough to do it again.

With Gen Z, the world of dating seems to be much more complicated. Let’s look at a few of the colourful words and expressions that are now being used to describe modern romance.

If the terminology is anything to go by, 21st-century dating can be remarkably vague. Why pin yourself down to one person and risk disappointment? With roster dating, the idea is to date several people at once, either because you can’t make up your mind or because each person has a different set of qualities that, combined, might make the perfect partner.

Commitment isn’t necessarily the destination with roster dating – it’s about letting go of expectations, and not wasting all your energy on a single connection.
[theguardian.com, 27 July 2026]

If that sounds like an organizational nightmare, it might be a better idea to try wildflowering, where you stick to one person, but let your new relationship unfold and blossom naturally (or, indeed, wither and die), avoiding any awkward conversations about what it all means.

Wildflowering is essentially just a relaxed approach to dating that involves being open to seeing where things go with a potential new love interest
[cosmopolitan, com, 11 June 2026]

Still keeping things somewhat casual, an explorationship offers a similar set-up, where you slowly explore the possibility that this may turn out to be a committed relationship, without placing any demands on yourself or your potential partner. This at least allows for the possibility that whatever is going on may develop into something more serious, unlike a situationship, which is often so vague as to be barely romantic at all.

Gen-Z is more open to explorationships than traditional dating and relationships.
[idiva.com, 15 September 2025]

If hedging your bets like this holds no appeal and you want to know exactly where this relationship is heading, you can always try DTR. DTR stands for “define the relationship” and a DTR conversation lets you speak openly, set your boundaries, and decide whether the two of you actually have a future.

If you have been dating consistently for two months, a DTR conversation is in no way outside the realm of reason and may even be expected.
[www.regain.us, 26 March 2026]

An even more direct approach is turbodating, where you waste no time on casual conversation and finding out if you have the same taste in music and films and both like cats. Instead, you bypass the fun stage completely and right from the first date engage in serious conversation about relationship goals, financial compatibility, and whether you share the same basic values.

Turbodating is sidestepping the small talk stage and asking the nitty gritty questions from the off to avoid “time wasters”.
[discoverswns.com, 12 January 2026]

Phew. It all sounds rather exhausting and these are only a few of the words I’ve been watching, so look out for Part 2 soon. Next time, however, we will be looking at mildly annoying people and the words we use to describe them. See you then!