catfish
someone using a fake online identity
What it means
A "catfish" is someone who creates a fake online identity — usually with stolen or doctored photos — to deceive people, often in dating. As a verb, to "catfish" someone means to lure them with that false persona. Coined by the 2010 documentary of the same name.
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Examples
- Turns out my match was a total catfish.
- Her profile pics were ten years old, classic catfish.
- He tried to catfish me with a celebrity's photos.
- Always video chat first so you don't get catfished.
Where it comes from
Popularized by the 2010 documentary 'Catfish' and the MTV show that followed, which exposed people in deceptive online relationships. The term became shorthand for fake online identities.
Related slang
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