Grindr revolutionized hookup culture back in 2009 as the first social networking app to use geolocation to find potential mates. Whether home or abroad, finding love, sex, and community has never been more convenient for queer folks, and our newest feature is about to make things even simpler. Introducing My Tags.
With My Tags, users can choose keywords that most accurately represent their identity and preferences to explicitly find what you’re looking for, whether it’s a long-term monogamous relationship with a daddy or a discreet military twink with a foot fetish. No matter how broad or niche, My Tags will make whatever you’re searching for more attainable. Think of it like SEO for your Grindr profile.
If you’re eager to see which keywords made the list or you’re looking for a refresher on our community’s ever-evolving terminology, see the tags below and choose the many or few that best suit you.
Anon: Short for “anonymous.” Don’t expect much intimacy from this dude. You’re no more than a pole or a hole in this scenario.
Bator: Short for “masturbator.” A moniker often used to describe someone who gets off on solo or partnered masturabtion, edging, gooning, and other forms of manual intercourse.
Bb: Derived from the equestrian term, meaning to ride a horse without a saddle. Except you’re riding dick without a condom.
Beard: This guy has a face full of hair, save for some weak spots that he’s probably insecure about. Men with weak chins may use it as camouflage.
Bear: A big, hairy man who probably growls during sex. He might even eat all the food at your campsite.
Bi: Short for “bisexual,” this person’s sexual and/or romantic interests are not limited to one gender.
Bubblebutt: Has an ass you can bounce a quarter off of. The bottom’s version of “hung,” meaning its interpretation varies by individual.
Carplay: Fooling around in a vehicle. A popular option for gays who can’t host and homosexual Uber drivers.
Chastity: This person is not looking for sex. It could be a kink (meaning they’re aroused by denying themselves orgasm and sexual pleasure) or a vow of celibacy. If the former, they might wear a chastity device (see: cock cage) to enhance the experience.
Chub: A person with some delicious meat on their bones.
Cleancut: Is a well-groomed individual and believes haircuts give them superpowers.
College: Is currently attending college, meaning they have a roommate and a fairly regular drinking schedule.
Condomsonly: Condoms are their chosen form of protection.
Cruising: Wants to meet in a public place (likely a forest, park, or restroom) for sexy times. Intrigued? Read more on cruising here.
Cub: A smaller, typically younger version of a bear.
Cuddling: Is looking to snuggle, watch a movie and maybe get into some heavy petting. This person is craving intimacy but is too lazy to douche.
Cut: A particularly gauche way of saying circumcised.
Daddy: Typically an older, mature man, though its definition has evolved to become more of a mindset for those with masculine or dominant energy.
Dating: Wants dinner before getting dicked down.
Dirty: Refers to the mind, not their hygiene or the current state of their apartment (though it might).
Discreet: Wants to keep their private life private. Expect them to delete and create a new profile every few weeks. Don’t worry, they’ll come back. They always do.
DL: An acronym for “down-low,” meaning they might be closeted or are seeking non-negotiated intercourse outside of their relationship. In either case, they’ll have a blank profile.
Dom: Short for “dominant” (and the “D” in BDSM), a dom is the aggressor who typically takes charge during a kinky sexual session. The dom serves to satisfy a sub who, in a healthy BDSM relationship, has already expressed their boundaries prior to play.
Drag: A drag queen who is online to talk about dick, not drag.
Drug-free: Doesn’t use drugs.
DTF: An acronym for “down to fuck.” Not a fan of “endless chat” and will be quick to suggest WhatsApp for quicker communication.
Edging: Takes the long road to orgasm by repeatedly nearing and denying climax, building toward a deeper, stronger orgasm. A worthwhile technique for those looking to build endurance in the bedroom.
Feet: This person is aroused by feet and gives a fantastic foot massage. It isn’t weird. Don’t make it weird.
Femme: This person’s appearance and/or mannerisms could be perceived as what’s considered traditionally feminine.
Flexible: Can wear their ankles as earrings. Could also be referring to their sexuality.
Friends: Seeking relations of the platonic variety.
FTM: An acronym for “female to male,” meaning this person’s sex was assigned female at birth but identifies as male.
Furries: Refers to a sexual interest in anthromorphic characters or animals with human-like features. The fetish may also include an attraction to stuffed animals and isn’t necessarily sexual.
FWB: An acronym for “friends with benefits,” the benefit of which is sex. A friend to breed is a friend indeed!
Gaymer: A gay video game lover. Ask for their gamertag and play with each other’s joysticks.
Gear: Is aroused by fetish gear like harnesses and dressing up.
Geek: This person identifies as a nerd and can speak at length to the X-Men as a queer metaphor.
GH: An acronym for “glory hole,” which are fist-sized holes typically found in bathhouses, adult theatres, restrooms, even people’s homes for anonymous oral and anal sex. Read more about glory holes here.
Group: Fond of orgies and group sex. The more the merrier!
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Hairy: This man is hairy all over and will satisfy your Burt Reynolds on a bear skin rug fantasy.
Hands: This guy appreciates the under-valued art of handjobs, fingering and other manual methods of stimulation.
Hosting: Prefers hooking up at their place. Judging their apartment is completely warranted.
Hung: Has a pendulous schlong swinging between their legs, or at least thinks they do.
Jock: Despite its athletic origins, someone who identifies as a jock may or may not play sports (because gay). It generally means they’re in good physical shape.
Kink: Often confused with a fetish, a kink is something that turns someone on, but is not considered the norm. Conversely, a fetish is a sexual act or object that is almost always necessary for a person to become aroused and enjoy sex. The more you know!
Kissing: Big on smooching.
Latex: Has a sexual preference or desire for latex items, usually apparel and accessories. Often drawn to its tight and glossy qualities.
Leather: Similar to latex, this person is aroused by and attracted to leather. Can be found at the Eagle.
Limits: This person wants you to know that they have boundaries that should be respected.
Lingerie: Somebody who embraces their feminine side by wearing sexy negligee, or is attracted to somebody who does. Played in mom’s closet as a kid.
Looking: Is currently looking for sex; hates “time-wasters.”
LTR: An acronym for “long-term relationship,” this person prioritizes dates over dicks.
Masc: This person’s appearance and/or mannerisms could be perceived as what’s considered traditionally masculine.
Military: Served or currently serves in the military.
Monogamy: Is seeking a monogamous relationship, meaning a relationship with one person, opposed to multiple.
MTF: An acronym for “male to female,” meaning this person’s sex was assigned male at birth but identifies as female.
Muscle: A hulking Adonis with a social following in the tens to hundreds of thousands. See for yourself, they’ve definitely linked to their Instagram.
Nipples: This person gets aroused when their nipples are teased or played with.
NSA: An acronym for “no strings attached,” meaning sex without emotional fidelity. Serves Craigslist Casual Encounters realness.
Nylons: Enjoys wearing or playing with someone dressed in nylon or pantyhose.
Oral: Into mouth stuff.
Otter: A slim, hairy person.
Pic4Pic: Will only send pictures if you first agree to send them back. Might block or ghost you after getting their rocks off. Don’t take it personally, it’s their MO.
Piercings: Has more than two holes.
Pits: Enjoys licking and sniffing pits and is offended by deodorant. The mustier the pit, the more they commit.
Poly: Short for “polyamorous,” a type of ethically non-monogamous relationship that refers to folks who have multiple romantic relationships at the same time.
Poz: Is HIV positive. Remember: Undetectable means untransmittable!
Public: Is turned on by public sex and the possibility of getting caught. Knows a great spot nearby.
Pupplay: A subset of the “pet play” fetish, where individuals behave and inhabit the headspace of a dog. The pup fetish is not necessarily sexual, and often involves playing fetch and pup gear, such as hoods and tails. While the fetish centers around canines, no actual animals are involved.
Pup: The titular pup in pup play. Loyal to their pack and obedient to their handler (unless they’re a stray), who traditionally plays the dominant role in a pup play scenario.
Quickie: A CliffNotes version of sex. This person is probably on their lunch break.
Roleplay: Enjoys playing a character to help bring a sexual fantasy or dynamic to life. Think: teacher/student, cop/robber, camp counsellor/masked serial killer with mommy issues.
Rough: Not interested in love-making, this piggy wants to fuck. Don’t be gentle with this one.
Rubber: Has a sexual preference or desire for rubber apparel and accessories.
Rugged: An outdoorsy type. Wears flannel, Wrangler jeans and work boots. Lists hiking somewhere in their profile.
Safersex: Prioritizes safer sex practices.
Showoff: An exhibitionist who enjoys masturbating and showing off for others. They get off on praise and adoration.
Sissy: A pejorative term for someone considered feminine. Someone who self-identifies as a sissy is likely aroused by its implicit degradation.
Smooth: This person is either naturally hairless, or takes a razor to their fur to assure their body is smoother than a twink’s chin.
Sober: Doesn’t drink alcohol.
Spanking: Is aroused by spanking/flogging. Has been very bad and needs to be punished.
Spit: Is turned on by spit. Wants to be basted in someone’s saliva.
Sub: Short for “submissive” (and the “S” in BDSM), a sub assumes the more compliant role in a kinky scenario, getting off on obedience, discipline, spanking, etc. If Batman is a dom, Robin is a sub.
Tentacles: A sexual interest in tentacles and the creatures that possess them. The sexualized genre of Japanese manga and anime known as hentai was made to appeal to people with this fetish.
Thick: A husky individual with a body thicker than oatmeal.
Toys: Likes playing with toys, which is far less innocent than it sounds.
Trans: Short for “transgender,” meaning their gender identity does not match the sex they were assigned at birth.
Twink: Zac Efron in High School Musical.
Twunk: Zac Efron in Baywatch.
Vaccinated: This person has been vaccinated and is ready for another injection. #vax4vax.
Vanilla: Their sexual interests don’t typically include anything out of the ordinary.
Video chat: Enjoys erotic interaction over video. A wonderful long-distance option, or if you don’t want to clean your apartment.
Visiting: An out-of-towner and fresh face on the Grindr grid seeking foreign validation, dick, restaurant recommendations, etc.
Watching: A voyeur who gets off on spectating; possibly into cuckolding.
WS: Short for “watersports,” meaning this person likes pee and maybe jet skiing. Their showers are golden and their toilets are human.