Kittenfishing
- “slightly lying on a dating profile”
- “their photos looked nothing like they do in person”
- “the word for exaggerating yourself on a dating app”
- “when someone's profile is a flattering version of the truth”
01 · Side by side
Side by side
Comparison sheet
| Aspect | Kittenfishing | Wokefishing |
|---|---|---|
| What's faked | Looks and stats | Beliefs and values |
| Depth | Surface details | Core identity |
| Found out | On the first date | Once you're invested |
| Read as | Mild vanity | A serious breach |
| Revealed | On the first date | Once you're attached |
| Seen as | Mild embellishment | Serious breach |
02 · Which one you meant
Which one did you mean?
In shortReaders who land here meaning Kittenfishing rather than Wokefishing are usually searching for phrases like “slightly lying on a dating profile”, “their photos looked nothing like they do in person”, “the word for exaggerating yourself on a dating app”.
Wokefishing
- “pretending to share my values just to date me”
- “they acted progressive until we were together, then changed”
- “the word for faking your politics to attract someone”
- “when someone hides their real beliefs while dating”
03 · Which came first
Which came first
In shortKittenfishing. 2017 — The dating app Hinge coins the term in a June 21 article for the milder-than-catfishing deception.
- 2017
Kittenfishing. The dating app Hinge coins the term in a June 21 article for the milder-than-catfishing deception.
- 2020
Wokefishing. Coined by journalist Serena Smith at Vice, amid a period of heightened social-justice activism.
04 · Read either one