Kittenfishing
What does Kittenfishing mean?
Kittenfishing is presenting yourself in an unrealistically flattering way on a dating profile, such as using old or heavily edited photos or exaggerating height, job, or interests.
Kittenfishing used in a sentence
“His profile said six feet and marathon runner, but in person he was five-nine and had run one 5K, which was classic kittenfishing.”
This example shows the term in context rather than treating the definition as a literal word-for-word substitution. Slang often depends on tone, audience, and the conversation around it.
How do you use Kittenfishing?
Kittenfishing is a milder cousin of catfishing: the person is real, but the details are inflated. Common examples include outdated photos, flattering filters, and stretched facts about height, age, or achievements. Many people do small versions of it without seeing it as deception, which is why the term is often used with mild annoyance rather than outrage.
Where did Kittenfishing come from?
The dating app Hinge created the term in 2017 to describe well-intentioned users presenting themselves in an unrealistically positive light. The name plays on catfishing, with a kitten being a smaller version of a cat.
Common variations of Kittenfishing
kittenfish
The verb or noun form for someone who embellishes their dating profile.
Kittenfishing: frequently asked questions
How is kittenfishing different from catfishing?
A kittenfisher is a real person with embellished details, while a catfisher pretends to be someone else entirely.
Who coined kittenfishing?
The dating app Hinge introduced the term in 2017.