Thirst Trap
PhenomenonA photo deliberately posed to attract sexual attention.
What it means
Thirst trap is a deliberately-attractive photo — gym selfie, beach shot, low-cut top — posted to elicit comments, likes, or DMs. The phrase has lost some of its original snark and is often used self-aware now ('here's my obligatory thirst trap'). On dating apps, thirst traps work less well than people think — they convert eyeballs but not high-quality matches.
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.