future faking
/ˈfjuː.tʃər ˈfeɪ.kɪŋ/
CommonMaking promises about a shared future to keep someone around, with no real intention of following through.
Distinct from general dishonesty. The promises are specifically about the future and are used to maintain emotional investment. The person doing it may believe the promises in the moment but consistently fails to act on them.
| # | Example | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | he booked us a trip every time i brought up how unhappy i was. future faking. | The trips were used to deflect from real relationship problems, not out of genuine enthusiasm. | tiktok, 2023 |
| 02 | we were going to move in together for two years. future faking the whole time. | The plans were repeatedly made but never acted on. | |
| 03 | he talks about our future so much but nothing ever changes | The contrast between words and action is the pattern. | x, 2024 |
| 04 | if they use the future to keep you from leaving, that's future faking | The promises function as retention tactics, not genuine plans. | tiktok, 2023 |
Use it when
- Someone makes grand plans for the future that never materialize.
- A partner keeps referencing a future together whenever things get tense.
- Plans and promises are used to reset the relationship after conflict.
Do not use it when
- Someone genuinely plans something and then circumstances change.
- Someone is just optimistic about the relationship.
Future faking vs love bombing
future faking
Future faking is specifically about promises of what will happen. It targets long-term hope.
love-bombing
Love bombing is overwhelming affection in the present. It targets immediate emotional bonding.
Origin and context
Emerged from relationship psychology and narcissistic abuse recovery communities online. Gained mainstream traction in the early 2020s as vocabulary around emotional manipulation became more widely discussed.
- First seen
- early-2020s
- Confidence
- low
Cite this page
Use this stable URL to reference the entry.
https://slang.fyi/future-faking