As anyone who’s spent more than five minutes on a dating app knows, there are a lot of words and phrases you’re likely to encounter over and over again in your standard Tinder bio. See: “Partner in crime,” “Jim to my Pam,” “[insert something about tacos],” etc. Most of these trite Tinderisms are pretty self-explanatory (like, almost too self-explanatory), but there is another not uncommon phrase that tends to pop up in dating app bios that you may be less familiar with: “GGG.”
If you’ve encountered these three little letters in a recent swipe sesh and thought, “Um, what?” you, friend, have come to the right place. Because I, too, have been curious about what exactly this little acronym actually signals about a potential match, I’ve graciously gone ahead and tapped the experts for the lowdown on what GGG means and how it’s used on Tinder and other apps.
The basics: GGG stands for “Good, Giving, and Game.” explains Devyn Simone, resident relationship expert for Tinder. The term was originally coined by sex columnist and podcaster, Dan Savage.
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“The idea is that people should aim to be good in bed by giving ‘equal time and equal pleasure’ to one’s partner, and game ‘for anything—within reason,’” says certified sex educator Gigi Engle, ACS, lead intimacy expert at 3Fun and co-host of the Bad Break podcast. “It basically means we should be willing to pay attention to our partners in the sack and take their pleasure into high consideration and also be flexible with what we’re willing and open to try in bed.”
While the term pre-dates the dating app era, it’s become a fairly common phrase in online dating profiles, used to signal a user’s own sex positivity/sexually adventurous inclinations and their desire for a like-minded match or partner.
Of course, like literally all things on the internet, there’s room for interpretation (and, ahem, misinterpretation) when it comes to what it really means to be “Good, Giving, and Game” and seeking the same. Here’s everything you need to know about what GGG means on dating apps, and what it definitely does NOT mean.
What Does It Mean to Be GGG in Bed?
In short, “It just means that being good in bed means being an attentive and flexible lover,” Engle explains. Identifying as “GGG” is essentially a more concise way of letting potential partners know you are sex-positive, sexually adventurous, and looking to explore that with a like-minded lover. (Quick reminder that non-sex-having folks, including those who identify within the asexual spectrum, can still be sex-positive. “GGG” just means that someone is looking to act on that sex-positive ideology.)
“This can look like giving your partner oral sex, engaging with their kinks, and openly and honestly communicating about both your and their desires in bed,” says Engle. “Essentially, it looks like communicative sexual partners who are open to discussing sex while being willing to try new things and keep things interesting in the bedroom. GGG people prioritize sex and recognize its value in our wellbeing and happiness.”
Literally all good stuff, right?
What Does GGG Mean on Tinder?
If someone mentions “GGG” in their dating app bio, they’re basically just trying to let potential matches know that they subscribe to all of the above (you know, assuming they actually understand what it’s all about—more on that later) and are seeking the same in a partner.
“It’s an effective way to signal that you’re looking for a more adventurous/sex positive match,” says Simone. “It can be helpful in attracting like-minded people and showcasing what you’re looking for in a relationship from the jump. More specifically, the term itself means that from your assessment, you’re good in bed, a giving sex partner, and game for a variety of things.”
That said, mention of “GGG” in a dating app bio doesn’t necessarily mean that someone is just looking for a no-strings hookup—though it certainly can. “While ‘GGG’ is more commonly used by those looking to hook up, that isn’t always the case,” says Simone. “There are some singles who use the term to express their sex positivity, but they are still looking for a monogamous partner with whom to share those sexual experiences.
TL;DR: “When you see GGG, use it as an indicator for sex positivity, but don’t assume much else about the person or what they’re looking for without speaking with them first,” says Simone.
What GGG Definitely Does Not Mean
As an avid dating-app user myself (and specifically as a woman who dates men), I’ve noticed an unfortunate overlap between the “GGG” guys and the cringe “alpha male” guys—ones who seem to be misinterpreting, and misrepresenting, GGG to mean, “Hey, I’m looking for a woman to fulfill my every sexual whim without question.”
So let’s go ahead and make one thing aggressively, excessively clear: This is very much NOT what GGG is all about. According to Engle, assuming the “game” part means that a partner should always be up for sex/any kind of sex goes against the spirit of the term and is not what Savage had in mind.
“Being game isn’t about having sex you don’t want to have or having sex when you’re not in the mood to have sex. It’s about being explorative about sex, about trying new things (for your pleasure, too!), and getting curious during sex and sexual adventures with a partner(s),” says Engle. “It’s about making sex a priority—and this absolutely does not mean straight up PIV sex. It means all kinds of sex. When we think of sex as being a big umbrella where all forms of pleasure can have a place, we open ourselves up to a lot more pleasure.”
So, long story short, seeing “GGG” on Tinder likely means that you’ve stumbled across a sexually open-minded and adventurous person who wants to explore with a similarly open-minded and adventurous partner. But, as always, be sure to keep an eye out for fuckboys.
Associate Sex & Relationships Editor
Kayla Kibbe (she/her) is the Associate Sex and Relationships Editor at Cosmopolitan, where she covers all things sex, love, dating, and relationships • She lives in Astoria, Queens and probably won’t stop talking about how great it is if you bring it up • Follow her on Twitter and Instagram.