‘Freak matching’ is the new dating trend coined by GenZ - but it’s not as sinister as it sounds

With each new generation come new words, but ‘freak matching’ has raised some eyebrows despite being quite wholesome.

Every new generation comes up with new words and terms that they prefer to use over the old archaic language of their ancestors.

Think back to when you were a teenager, you probably used phrases that are now commonplace or have simply fallen into obscurity.

And if you are a young person now, well... it’ll happen to you.

But the term ‘freak matching’ sounds a whole lot dirtier than it is.

Off the top of your head, do you know what it means? Do you know why it seems to be a popular dating trend that is set to carry on into the new year?

Dating website Plenty of Fish even coined ‘freak matching’ as a dating trend of 2025, and the simplest explanation is described as a person ‘connecting with someone over shared quirks, eccentricities, unique interests, or general weirdness’.

The website goes as far as suggesting how to use “Freak Matching” in a sentence: “When I find someone as weird as me, I’ll know they’re my Freak Matching soulmate.”

See, so get your mind out of the gutter. Think less naughty thoughts.

Many have started using the term since the release of the song ‘Nasty’ by Tinashe, where she admittedly is very suggestive with her use of the phrase.

In her song, Tinashe sings, “Is somebody gonna match my freak/Is somebody gonna match my freak/Is somebody gonna match my nasty/I got stamina, they say I’m an athlete/Is somebody gonna match my freak?”

Kelly Elizabeth Wright, assistant professor of language sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, broke down Gen-Z's more wholesome use of the term and how similar sentiments pop up each generation.

Speaking to Today.com, she said: “Songs about freaks appear every decade, span every genre of music, and are bops more often than not; being a freak is something we clearly love to sing about.

“These songs present everything from light-hearted conversations about accepting oneself; to encouragement to flaunt your own freakiness; to powerful confessionals about adversity, ostracism, and exploitation; to support for rebellion and engagement in radical and liberating self-expression; to empowerment for sexually uninhibited women.”

So, if you really want to connect with the younger generation, you now know all you need to know about freak matching. You are so very welcome.