Let's get WHIMSICAL

Could a bit a whimsy be what your dating life needs?

- Madison Bogisch

When it comes to dating, many of us are feeling jaded.

Whether it's the cycle of red flags, ghosting – research suggests that over 70 per cent of people have either ghosted someone or been ghosted themselves – surface-level communication or the sense that everyone is replaceable, love feels kind of dead.

But before you hook your dating life up to life support, there may be a cure: whimsy.

Defined as something playful, fanciful and pleasantly unpredictable, whimsy has found itself having a moment in 2026, and dating app Hinge's love and connection expert, Moe Ari Brown, tells WHO it could be the answer to your dating life.

From TikToks of people adding sprinkles to their matcha to the rise of the phrase “let women be whimsical and weird”, this playful, offbeat energy – once reserved for women dancing in fields – is everywhere.

And, per Hinge, mentions of “whimsy” in users' dating profiles on the app have gone up by 75 per cent, making it clear we're craving something lighter, even when we're in the dating trenches.

“This year, people are leaning into whimsy, playfulness and fun across their personal and dating lives,” Brown says. “They're celebrating little moments that bring them joy, connecting over niche hobbies and interests, and creating space for play.”

So what does it take to bring the magic back into dating?