The Brief: Negging is a dating term that refers to when someone uses manipulative backhanded compliments to keep someone searching for their approval.
DEEP DIVE
Negging is behavior and comments that are designed to put someone down while ostensibly complimenting or “only teasing” them. Although not exclusive to heterosexual relationships, negging is often characterized as something that men do to women. This dating term typically refers to backhanded compliments or statements that are meant to lower someone’s self-esteem.
Has someone ever given you a backhanded compliment, mocked you, or slightly insulted you while trying to ‘flirt’ with you? That’s called ‘NEGGING’. It’s an attempt to undermine your confidence and make you feel vulnerable, in the hope it increases your need for their approval…
— TONI TONE (@t0nit0ne) September 15, 2020
peter thinks i dont know what “negging” is. pic.twitter.com/PzNdSx3Y5p
— Tess Gattuso (@tessplease) September 2, 2020
one day can we talk about how Jess from Gilmore Girls was that fuckboy who only reads books written by men and thinks negging is cute but he's hot and sometimes kind of sweet so you destroy your entire life for him pic.twitter.com/14temS6Z18
— Lane Moore (@hellolanemoore) September 15, 2020