Relationship
What does Cushioning mean?
Keeping spare suitors as a pillow in case the current bond fails.
Definition
Cushioning is a human safety net: while a relationship runs, the person cultivates flirts, likes, lukewarm chats — enough not to fall into the void. It need not be sex; many people treat it as a betrayal of attention.
Benching describes who sits on the bench; cushioning describes who builds the bench under a bond that still exists. Breadcrumbing is the drip; here the aim is to soften the fall.
Origin
The word comes from English cushion, to soften a blow. The Tab laid out the gerund on 7 February 2017: keeping a “B team” on a low flame. The Boston Globe, on 1 June 2017, listed cushioning beside ghosting and breadcrumbing in Tinder and OKCupid slang. The figurative verb cushion is much older; dating glued the gerund onto apps.
History
From 2017 columns the term moved onto “worst trends of the decade” lists. Urban Dictionary defined the technique: a “main piece” and several cushions in case of a split. Portuguese and Spanish often keep the English, sometimes with almofada / almohadilla.
How it emerged
The app made the reserve squad too visible to stay unnamed. A cushion already softened a fall; dating used the same picture for the parallel flirt the other person does not see.
Usage examples
Keeps three warm DMs going while dating someone.
The gym crush covers the fall if the current one leaves.
Translations
- pt cushioning / almofada
- en cushioning
- es cushioning / almohadilla
Synonyms
- affective pillow
- parallel plan B
- benching