Catfish

Catfish (noun / verb / dating slang)

(Also heard as: Proper catfished, Total catfish, Getting catfished)

Definition: Someone nicking other people’s photos to build a fake profile on Tinder, Hinge, or Insta. They string folk along online while hiding who they really are.

Pronunciation: /ˈkæt.fɪʃ/

Where It Comes From: Blew up after that 2010 documentary by Nev Schulman, where a bloke fell for a woman online only to find out the whole thing was a lie. The title came from a quirky story about fishermen putting catfish in tanks with cod to keep them on their toes. MTV turned it into a massive reality show, and overnight, “catfish” became the go-to word for anyone faking it on the web.

How People Actually Use It: Tossed around whenever a date goes sideways. You’ll hear it when someone turns up to a pub and looks twenty years older than their profile, or when your mate gets a DM from a model with zero mutuals and one grainy photo. It’s also used as banter when someone overdoes the filters on their story.

Examples in the Wild:

• “Walked into the bar, took one look at him, and realised I’d been proper catfished.”

  Translation: I got to the date and he looked totally different to his pictures.

• “No way that girl in your DMs is real, mate—you’re getting catfished.”

  Translation: That account is obviously fake and trying to fool you.

• “Her profile was all ten-year-old snaps; absolute catfish behaviour.”

  Translation: She used ancient photos to pretend she looks different now.

Similar Slang: Imposter, Fake, Dodgy, Sus, Con merchant, Fraud