If you hear the sentence “John has been cheated on by his girlfriend”, what do you understand?

[Anonymous]

John’s girlfriend had sex with another person

John’s girlfriend was unfaithful somehow, it could be sex but also just writing to another person, flirting with another person etc

A total of 58 votes were cast: 21 girls and 37 guys. See detailed results

Updates

+1 y

Or formulated otherwise: if Johns girlfriend hits on Fred, but Fred isn’t interested and turns her down, would you still say John has been cheated on?

[burlen]

"John has been cheated on by his girlfriend" suggests that John's girlfriend has engaged in at least one of the following forms of cheating in relationship.

Physical infidelity: This type of cheating involves engaging in sexual activity with someone other than one's partner. This can include kissing, sexual intercourse, or any other type of physical intimacy.

Emotional infidelity: Emotional cheating involves forming a deep emotional connection with someone other than one's partner. This can include sharing intimate conversations, confiding in someone else, or developing romantic feelings for another person.

Financial infidelity: Such as secretly accumulating debt, opening credit cards without telling one's partner, or making large purchases without discussing them first. When these actions are discovered, they can cause feelings of betrayal and hurt, just like other forms of cheating.

Neglect: Such as failing to spend quality time together, failing to communicate effectively, withholding affection or attention, or failing to support one's partner in challenging times. When these actions are repeated over time, they can cause a sense of emotional disconnection and erode the foundation of the relationship.

Intellectual cheating: Such as engaging in deep conversations with someone else, sharing one's passions or interests with someone else, or confiding in someone else about personal issues. When these actions are done in secret or without the knowledge of one's partner, they can create a sense of distance and emotional disconnection in the relationship.

Online or digital infidelity: This type of cheating involves engaging in intimate conversations, exchanging explicit photos or videos, or forming romantic connections with someone online. This can include using dating apps, social media platforms, or other forms of digital communication.

[Asker]

Ok, so if John’s girlfriend has tried to hook up
With another guy at a party, and the other guy was not interested, would you use the sentence “John has been cheated on”?

[burlen]

Yes. Her action establishes an intent to cheat and is cheating regardless of the fact that the guy at the party turned down her advances.

[DaveJord]

Obviously if they had sex with a different person then she straight up cheated. But I think people fail to understand that you can be unfaithful in other ways that do not involve sex. For me, I just the first thing that comes to mind when I hear something like that is that I assume it means sex... but I ways ask more questions. Ultimately it is seldom any of my business if it does not directly affect me, so I keep an open mind before assuming too much of any of them.

In the end there is no way of ever really knowing the true facts, so it usually just makes me think that he was a bad boyfriend, or she is bad girlfriend... but ultimately it really means they just have relationship problems and it not my business.

[Red-Blaze]

If someone try to kill someone else, but sucks at it, they still try to kill someone else
Cheating is not an act of action but intention

[Guy13]

John's girlfriend had sex or was intimate with another person outside of her and John.

[D_Bone_Steak]

Went with the second option. Cheating takes many forms, not just sex. All those forms do eventually lead to the sex stuff no matter how much she says he's just a friend or just a really nice guy if it doesn't get checked and have a stop put to it. The fact that John's girlfriend doesn't want to acknowledge that fact just means she'll keep fighting for that right... and then eventually it will lead to her cheating.

He knows it. She should know it. The other guys know it. Even her friends know it. Her Mom and Dad know it. ... But she's going to play stupid until it happens. Maybe try to hide it, until it happens again. Eventually, it's happened so much that everyone that knew it gives up and accepts she's just a slut. 😂

[D_Bone_Steak]

As for the update... yeah... she's basically cheating. She tried and failed... she's still cheating the relationship. That's actively cheating.

[Asker]

Ok, thank you! I agree that the second option is equal to cheating, but from a purely linguistic point of view I use the word cheating only if there is sex involved, so I was confused when I heard someone say that “John” had been cheated on, while I think his girlfriend was just flirting with others

[D_Bone_Steak]

Some people make up their own definitions of the word 'cheating' to define this or that. Usually, it's the cheater that does it. But at the bottom line, anything that hurts the relationship is a form of cheating the relationship. There is financial cheating, emotional cheating, the flirting kind of cheating, as well as the "no duh" sex kind of cheating.

I always break it down like this... ever been a kid playing tag with another kid, and they start making up rules just so they win? Just so they always win as much as they want, but you always lose? That kid is a cheater.

[kinggeorge007]

Here's the thing, the first impression I would get will be "John's girlfriend had sex with another person". But it could be other things as the second option describes too. Cheating isn't just sex. Showing the interest in another person romantically is cheating in my book.

[TheSpaceGnome]

It doesn't have to be sex to be cheating, just anything sexual, flirty, romantic, or otherwise "relationship territory" for an interaction.

[Asker]

May I ask what your native language is?

[TheSpaceGnome]

English.

[TheSpaceGnome]

Also, in regards to your update, yeah, that is still cheating.

[Asker]

Thank you! Same comment as below, for me “morally” that is also cheating, but I would use the expression “he has been cheated on” only if there was sex. Otherwise I would say “johns girlfriend was unfaithful”. But I am not a native English speaker so maybe I’m getting it wrong

[TheSpaceGnome]

Having faith is thinking that something is true based on an assumption.

So anyone scientifically minded is unfaithful, it really has nothing to do with cheating.

I think the only reason people use the word unfaithful in that context, is becase religious people assume a god exists, and that said god disapproves of cheating, so by cheating, your are losing your faith in that god's teachings, therfor, it is "unfaithful".

But for an atheist like me, thats all nonsense. The reason I don't cheat is because it's cruel, not because a god told me not to.

[AMS700CX4u2]

No one should be in a relationship that is so stifling that they have no friends, just a spouse.

[Zayed_]

Both.

Where is that bitch

[Miristheiss]

John has as girlfriend. She did sexual with someone else and betrayed him.

[SlothySlob]

John never truly existed in his "girlfriend's" world.

[ThomasDavid1989]

Some people believe you can "emotionally" cheat on someone, therefore you can't be "just friends", with the opposite sex, IF YOU'RE STRAIGHT

[LiamJHayden]

John's girlfriend gave affection to another that rightly belongs only to John. Could be sex, but could be other things.

[Iron_Man]

She’s been having sex with somebody else. Time to move on For John Boy

[Jamie05rhs]

I understand that John's girlfriend is a cheatin'-ass ho!

[inhua]

both scenarios would count as cheating

[exitseven]

I say she had sex with someone else

[SpokenTruth]

Both of the above.

[KrakenAttackin]

John's girlfriend is a whore.

[Kiran_Yagami]

I understand that "It's Tuesday".

[JohnAdams0000]

How did you know