thirst trap

noun

plural thirst traps

: a photograph (such as a selfie) or video shared for the purpose of attracting attention or desire

A thirst trap is always clearly posted or sent for the attention and admiration of one or more people—but is often done coyly …

—Madeline Merinuk

Several of the videos posted by Mr. Ossoff, 35, who has moppy brown hair and boyish good looks, have been interpreted by his fans as thirst traps.

—Anna P. Kambhampaty

also : someone or something that attracts attention or strong desire

Thirst trap Boris Kodjoe spends a lot of time without clothes in the movie, to the delight of his fans.

—Tonya Pendleton

He's not just a thoughtful and empathetic leader, he's also an A+ thirst trap.

—GQ

Michael Roos is a long-time DJ, and his house is a thirst trap for music lovers with a colossal collection of vinyl, an adjoined music studio and walls lined with memorabilia.

—Eva Raggio

Examples of thirst trap in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In a post dedicated to Brisket, Powell snuck in a thirst trap at the end of the carousel to attempt to regain the spotlight. —Brendan Le, People.com, 21 Oct. 2024

Think of it as your grandmother—one who does hot yoga, benches 200 pounds, and is still posting thirst traps on Instagram. —Remy Blumenfeld, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Oct. 2024

His physical transformation, spanning four years at USC, may not have been the stuff of Instagram thirst traps. —Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 8 Aug. 2024

And on Stranger Things, Jamie Campbell Bower—who also played a smokin' young version of Harry Potter baddie Grindelwald in the Fantastic Beasts movies—is definitely bringing thirst trap energy to his portrayal of young Vecna. —Eliana Dockterman, TIME, 3 July 2024

Don’t be shy about posting a thirst trap on social media; radiate positive comments. —Lisa Stardust, refinery29.com, 22 July 2024

Powell officially introduced Brisket to the world in July 2023 and has been sharing loving snaps of him ever since (including posting thirst traps with him on social media). —Kelsie Gibson, Peoplemag, 20 July 2024

Last week, Powell recruited Brisket for a classic Instagram thirst trap, buried eight photos deep in a dump of pictures of the dog. —Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 15 July 2024

And, as any Lord of the Rings fan with a pulse can tell you, Aragorn is the original genre thirst trap. —Eliana Dockterman, TIME, 3 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

Note: Thirst trap in the above sense appears to be a recycling of the phrase in an earlier sense, "feeling of satiety during exercise after drinking a small amount of liquid without fully rehydrating the body."

First Known Use

2011, in the meaning defined above