Negging
BehaviorBackhanded compliments or subtle put-downs designed to lower someone's confidence and create attraction.
What it means
Negging is a manipulation technique from PUA (pickup artist) culture: a subtle insult disguised as a compliment, intended to lower the target's confidence and make them seek validation from the negger. Long discredited and widely recognized, it still appears occasionally in dating contexts. 'You're cute for someone with a nose like that' is the textbook example.
Related terms
Make the first impression the easy part.
Turn the photo you have into a better photo or a short video. Still you, on a good day.