Dating and Relationship Abbreviations
36 abbreviations · part of Texting & Internet Slang Abbreviations
Abbreviations used in texts between partners, on dating apps and profiles, in classic newspaper personal ads and on wedding-planning forums, such as BF, GF, SO, BAE, DTR, LDR and PDA. Some are affectionate pet names, others describe relationship stages or what someone is looking for. Entries explain where each term appears, its tone and how it differs from look-alike meanings; sexually explicit slang is deliberately left out.
| Abbreviation | Stands for | Description |
|---|---|---|
| BAE | Babe or baby (backronym: before anyone else) | Affectionate term for a romantic partner, and by extension anything the speaker loves, as in "pizza is bae." It peaked on social media in 2014. |
| BB | Baby (term of endearment) | Pet name for a partner, friend or child, as in "night bb" or "miss you bb." Common in texts between couples and close friends. |
| BBY | Baby (term of endearment) | Pet name for a romantic partner, sometimes also used affectionately between close friends, as in "hey bby" or "omw bby." Popular in texts and social media comments. |
| BF | Boyfriend | A male romantic partner in an unmarried relationship, as in "my bf" or "bf and I." One of the most common abbreviations in texts, captions and online posts about… |
| DF | Dear fiancé | Affectionate term for one's fiancé or fiancée on wedding-planning and parenting forums, as in "DF and I booked the venue." It follows the forum convention of prefixing… |
| DINK | Dual income, no kids | Couple in which both partners earn an income and have no children, often associated with more disposable income and freedom to travel. |
| DTR | Define the relationship | Conversation in which two people dating clarify what they are, such as exclusive, casual or committed partners. |
| ENM | Ethical non-monogamy | Umbrella term for relationship styles in which all partners knowingly agree to romantic or intimate connections with more than one person, such as polyamory or open… |
| FBO | Facebook official | Describes a relationship made public by changing one's Facebook relationship status to "In a relationship," as in "we're FBO now." For years it marked the moment a… |
| FH | Future husband | Wedding-forum term for a fiancé, used mostly by brides planning a wedding, as in "FH wants a small ceremony." It shows up constantly in posts about budgets, guest lists… |
| GF | Girlfriend | A female romantic partner in an unmarried relationship, as in "my gf" or "gf's birthday." Very common in texts, social media captions and online forums. |
| GNSD | Good night, sweet dreams | Bedtime message between partners, family members or close friends, combining GN (good night) and SD (sweet dreams) into one quick sign-off. |
| GSOH | Good sense of humour | Personal-ad phrase stating that the advertiser has, or wants a partner with, a good sense of humor. |
| LDR | Long-distance relationship | Romantic relationship in which partners live far apart, often in different cities or countries, and rely on calls, texts and visits. |
| LMIRL | Let's meet in real life | Suggestion to meet in person after chatting online, typical of early online dating and chat-room culture, when moving from screen names to a real meeting felt like a… |
| LOML | Love of my life | Describes a person, usually a partner, as the great love of the writer's life. |
| LTR | Long-term relationship | Committed, ongoing relationship, or the goal of finding one, as in "looking for an LTR" on a dating profile. |
| MOB | Mother of the bride | Wedding-planning term for the bride's mother, as in "MOB dress shopping" or "MOB wants a bigger guest list." Its counterpart is MOG, mother of the groom. |
| MOH | Maid of honor | Chief bridesmaid who supports the bride before and during the wedding, often organizing the bridal shower and bachelorette party and helping on the day. |
| NC | No contact | Deliberately cutting off all communication with an ex-partner, or with an abusive or toxic family member, as in "I've been NC for three months." A staple of… |
| NRE | New relationship energy | Rush of excitement, infatuation and focus people feel at the start of a romantic relationship. |
| NS | Non-smoker | Personal-ad and dating-profile code stating that the person does not smoke, or wants a partner who doesn't, as in "NS only." Also common in roommate listings and rental… |
| OH | Other half | British and Irish term for one's spouse or partner, as in "my OH is cooking tonight." Very common on UK forums, in texts and on social media, and usually affectionate. |
| PDA | Public display of affection | Kissing, hugging, hand-holding or other physical affection shown in public, often mentioned disapprovingly, as in "too much PDA." Common in conversation, school rules… |
| QT | Cutie | Compliment calling someone cute, typed as the letters' sound, "kyoo-tee." Used in flirty texts, captions and comments, as in "what a qt." |
| SAHGF | Stay-at-home girlfriend | Woman who does not work outside the home and is financially supported by her boyfriend while managing the household, cooking or self-care. |
| SD | Sweet dreams | Bedtime wish, usually paired with GN (good night) as "gn sd," sent between partners, parents and children, or close friends. |
| SO | Significant other | Gender-neutral term for a romantic partner, whether boyfriend, girlfriend, spouse or long-term partner. |
| STD | Save the date | Card, magnet or digital notice sent to wedding guests months in advance, asking them to keep the date free before formal invitations go out. |
| STR | Short-term relationship | Brief or casual romantic relationship without long-term commitment, or a stated preference for one, often written on dating profiles by people who are traveling, newly… |
| SWAK | Sealed with a kiss | Affectionate note written on the back of envelopes or at the end of love letters, signaling that the sender sealed the letter with a kiss. |
| SWF | Single white female | Personal-ad shorthand in which the advertiser describes herself by relationship status, race and gender, part of a system of codes used in newspaper personals from the… |
| SWM | Single white male | Personal-ad shorthand in which the advertiser describes himself by relationship status, race and gender. |
| TDH | Tall, dark and handsome | Describes a conventionally attractive man, a long-standing romantic ideal in novels, films and personal ads. |
| V-Day | Valentine's Day | Shorthand for Valentine's Day, celebrated on February 14 with cards, flowers and dates. |
| WLTM | Would like to meet | Personal-ad phrase introducing the kind of person the advertiser hopes to meet, as in "WLTM tall, kind man, 40 to 50." Typical of UK newspaper lonely-hearts ads, where… |