The term ‘delusionship’ has been trending on TikTok in recent weeks.
In fact, the hashtag #delusionship has been viewed on the app over 17.3million times, with people sharing their relatable experiences of being in one.
So, what exactly is a delusionship?
@redformandumbazz Imagine a pilgrim trying to read that sentence #delusionship
According to Bumble‘s dating and relationship expert Dr Caroline West, “it’s the infatuation that you have for someone you don’t have an established relationship with – someone you see on the train every morning, or someone you have matched with on a dating app but haven’t met up with yet”.
For example, have you just met or started texting someone and are already envisioning your future together? Then you are probably in a delusionship.
@nynyashanti Us against thw world 😖🤞🏾 #fyp #delusional #mymanmymanmyman
While it may sound a little crazy to be fantasing about a life with a person you barely know, Dr Caroline says: “It’s ok to daydream about people and potential relationships.”
“Being outwardly confident in yourself and recognising the value you could bring to a romantic relationship is totally fine.”
However, she also warns: “It can be very easy to get carried away with idealising a relationship or our interactions with another person.”
@spacedustbby relatable haha moment
Urban Dictionary has another definition for a delusionship. They say it’s “a type of relationship where one person was delusional the whole time, and the relationship never really existed in the first place. it was all in their mind and delusions.”
Body and Soul describes a delusionship as “a relationship where one person has a wildly different idea about the seriousness of the relationship than the other… the ‘delusional’ person has convinced themselves that the person they’re dating cares more, and is more committed than they actually are”.
Want to learn some more modern dating terms? Check out our explainer piece here.
