FWB

• Focus Keyword: FWB meaning dating

• Secondary Keywords: what does FWB mean, FWB text slang, friends with benefits definition

• Meta Description: Wondering what FWB means on dating apps? Check out what it stands for, how the setup works in real life, and common chat examples. (124 characters)

FWB (noun / Dating & Text Slang)

(Also heard as: fwb, Fwb, F.W.B.)

Definition:

Friends with benefits. In plain English, it means you hang out, grab food, and sleep together, but you definitely aren’t calling each other boyfriend or girlfriend.

Where It Comes From:

People have had messy casual hookups since the dawn of time, but the exact tag caught fire during the 90s (Alanis Morissette even sang about it back in ’95). Once teens started tapping out messages on tiny Nokia keypads in the early 2000s, writing all those words took way too long. Squishing it down into three simple letters just made life easier. By the time Tinder blew up, everybody already knew the drill.

How People Actually Use It:

People slap it straight into dating app bios so they don’t lead anyone on. Outside of apps, you mostly hear it over Sunday morning drinks when a friend tries to convince everyone they totally won’t get attached to the person they’ve been sleeping with for six months straight.

Examples in the Wild:

• “We’re strictly FWB, so neither of us gets weird about texting back every hour.”

  Translation: We hook up casually and don’t expect relationship stuff.

• “Every other guy I match with on here just wants an FWB.”

  Translation: People keep asking for a casual setup instead of a real date.

• “Mate, you can’t stay FWB with your ex and expect your head not to explode.”

  Translation: Sleeping with an ex with zero commitment always goes wrong.

Similar Slang: Sneaky link, Situationship, NSA, Casual thing, Booty call, ONS