Benching
Benching means someone keeps you "on the bench" — minimal contact, an occasional message or like —…
View moreGlossary
Short entries about relationships, dating and getting to know people. One definition you can take with you, plus a few sentences of context.
Alphabetical list of entries
Emotional immaturity
Emotional immaturity in a relationship shows up as an inability to work through conflict, take…
View moreGaslighting
Gaslighting is a form of emotional manipulation where one person repeatedly undermines the other's…
View moreGhosting
Ghosting means someone stops communicating without explanation or a goodbye — they stop answering…
View moreGhostlighting
Ghostlighting combines ghosting and gaslighting — someone disappears without explanation first…
View moreNo contact rule
The no contact rule is a deliberate decision after a breakup to cut off all communication with an…
View moreOrbiting
Orbiting is when someone stops communicating with you directly but stays active on your social…
View moreToxic relationship
A toxic relationship is one where behavior that harms one or both partners' wellbeing — control,…
View moreZombieing
Zombieing is when someone who ghosted reappears in the other person's life — a message, a like,…
View moreFAQ about this glossary
How is this glossary made?
Entries are written by the Dr. Lāska editorial team, the people behind lāska.ai. We start from what people actually deal with while dating and in relationships, and from the language they use on dating apps and with each other. Every entry has one short definition and a few sentences of context.
How are entries selected?
We pick terms that show up in ordinary conversations about dating and relationships, and that are often used vaguely or wrongly. Words win priority when their meaning has a practical consequence, meaning they help you name what is really happening.
Are the entries based on research?
We are not an academic source and we don't pretend to be. Definitions are built on long-term observation of behaviour on dating apps, on reader feedback, and on widely accepted psychological concepts where the term touches them. Where the science is unsettled, we say so.
How often is the glossary updated?
Continuously. We add entries when a new term enters the language of dating, and revise existing ones when their meaning shifts. That's why every entry shows a publication and a last-updated date.