queer-baiting

A form of queerbaiting — The practice of creating homoerotic tension between two characters in a narrative work (particularly a television series) without the intention of ever developing it into an actual same-sex relationship or explicitly addressing the question of either character's sexuality.

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Meanings

nounqueer-baiting (uncountable)
  1. alternativeuncountableAlternative form of queerbaiting.

    Although Katy has admitted to being bi-curious in the past, the reason a lot of fans wanted clarity on her sexuality was to ensure she wasn't queer-baiting and benefiting from a culture she isn't actually part of.

    2023 September 14, Grazia Contributor, “This Is Why Katy Perry’s Sexuality Can Be A Controversial Talking Point”, in Grazia
Cite this entry
APA

queer-baiting. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/queer-baiting

MLA

“queer-baiting.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/queer-baiting. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “queer-baiting,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/queer-baiting.

Source: queer-baiting on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.