The act of sending a direct message — usually flirtatious — to someone you barely know on social media, hoping to start something.
Sliding into dms and just seeing where it goes always seems to do the trick, sometimes you hit it off sometimes nothing comes of it any yall wave at eachother in the distance
The latter, she says, “suggests intentional boundary violations” when done in professional settings. “That term – ‘sliding into DMs’ – when I hear it, it makes me pretty uncomfortable.” But some companies are doing ex…
The act of sending a direct message — usually flirtatious — to someone you barely know on social media, hoping to start something. "He slid into her DMs after she posted that beach photo." A specific 2010s+ DM-app maneuver; success rate famously low; persistence required.
"He slid into her DMs after she posted that beach photo."
'Sliding into someone's DMs' (direct messages) means privately messaging someone you don't know well on social media — typically Instagram or Twitter — usually with romantic or flirty intent. 'He slid into her DMs' = 'he sent her a private flirty message'. If your teen talks about sliding into DMs, they are using mainstream dating-internet vocabulary. Generally harmless; worth a calm conversation about being thoughtful about who messages whom and how to handle unwanted DMs.
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
Add your own interpretation of "sliding into DMs".
How people talk about dating apps, modern romance, and the situationships they swear they're over — from ghosting and breadcrumbing to soft-launching, hard-launching, and the ick.
See all Relationships & Dating slang on Slangora.
Browse all slang words starting with S.
(Internet slang, idiomatic) To confidently and coolly send a direct message to someone by means of social media, especially with romantic or sexual intentions.
Short for 'direct messages'. Discord, Twitter, Instagram, and most other platforms have DMs. 'Slide into the dms' became a 2010s flirtation meme (sending a private message to express romantic interest). 'Open/closed dms' refers to whether non-friends can message you. 'Don't DM me about this' is a common chat etiquette ask.
(AU, colloquial) An earnest conversation covering emotional topics, often as a smaller side conversation at a social occasion.
Private message. A direct, one-to-one message inside a forum, game lobby or chat platform — equivalent to a DM on Twitter or Instagram. Common on older platforms (vBulletin, IRC, Reddit) and most multiplayer games. Often used as a verb: "PM me your address".
'Sliding into someone's DMs' (direct messages) means privately messaging someone you don't know well on social media — typically Instagram or Twitter — usually with romantic or flirty intent. 'He slid into her DMs' = 'he sent her a private flirty message'. If your teen talks about sliding into DMs, they are using mainstream dating-internet vocabulary. Generally harmless; worth a calm conversation about being thoughtful about who messages whom and how to handle unwanted DMs.
'Sliding into DMs' (DM = Direct Message) refers to privately messaging someone — usually on Instagram or Twitter/X — whom one does not know well, typically with romantic or flirtatious intent. Used as both verb ('he slid into her DMs') and noun ('a successful DM slide'). Register: informal, dating and social-media discourse. In formal English use 'sending a private message with romantic intent'. A common learner mistake is to assume any private message counts; the term specifically denotes the romantic-overture context.
“Sliding into dms and just seeing where it goes always seems to do the trick, sometimes you hit it off sometimes nothing comes of it any yall wave at eachother in the distance”
“The latter, she says, “suggests intentional boundary violations” when done in professional settings. “That term – ‘sliding into DMs’ – when I hear it, it makes me pretty uncomfortable.” But some companies are doing exactly that; encouraging employees through social-media DMs to get work done.”