BDSM glossary

Look up 378 entries from the women’s, men’s and dominant tests. Some terms appear more than once so you can see what they mean from each side of a scene. For adults 18 and up.

A definition or test answer gives no one permission to act. Some items describe high-risk activities. These definitions are for understanding the test.

Women’s test · Sex & submission

Rape play (CNC): You and your partner agree in advance to act out a sexual scenario that looks forced. It’s a form of consensual non-consent, or CNC. Agree on a safeword first. Either of you can stop at any time.
Group ravishment play (CNC): A pre-agreed sexual role-play that simulates force and involves more than two people. Everyone has to clearly agree beforehand, and anyone can stop at any time.
Cumshot in the mouth: Your partner comes in your mouth during oral sex.
Facial (receiving): Your partner comes on your face. For some people, the appeal is feeling marked or humiliated.
Creampie (receiving): Your partner comes inside you during sex. Think about pregnancy prevention and protection from STIs.
Anal sex: Being penetrated anally during sex. Lube, hygiene and going slowly all matter here.
Stimulation or control with sex toys: Your partner uses a sex toy, such as a vibrator, to stimulate you or take control during the scene.
Forced orgasm (role-play): You’re tied down or otherwise restrained while your partner keeps stimulating you until you come. The loss of control is part of the scene. You can still stop at any time.
Squirting or incontinence: Ongoing stimulation may lead to squirting or loss of bladder control. This item covers either experience and focuses on the feeling of losing control.
Masturbation while being watched: You masturbate while your partner watches. The appeal can be feeling exposed or following their lead.
Tease and denial: Your partner turns you on and decides whether you get to come.
Vaginal stretching: Stretching the vagina a little at a time with a hand or toy. Plenty of lube matters here.
Anal stretching: Slowly stretching the anus with a hand or toy. Going too fast can cause tears.
Two penises or dildos at once: Being penetrated by two penises or dildos at the same time. This item doesn’t specify where.
Multiple penetration (partners or toys): Several partners or multiple toys are involved in penetrating you at the same time. The item does not specify a set number or where.
Double penetration (DP): Here, DP means being penetrated vaginally and anally at the same time.

Women’s test · Pet play

Cage play: Your partner shuts you in a cage so you have less room to move. You’ll often see this in pet play.
Collar or shackles: You wear a collar or shackles to symbolize belonging, restraint, or both.
Pet play (feeding): Your partner feeds you or sets rules for how you eat. This often comes up in pet play.
Puppy play (crawling on all fours): Getting down on hands and knees and crawling when asked, as in puppy play.
Foot worship (foot licking): Licking your partner’s feet as a way to worship them or show submission.
Trampling (being stepped on): Your partner steps on you. Areas like your belly and joints are especially easy to injure.
Pony play (being ridden): You play the pony or other mount and your partner rides you.
Giving a massage: You give your partner a massage. The two of you agree on what’s included.
Shoe worship (shoe licking): Licking a partner’s shoes as a form of service or submission. Rate this separately from foot licking.
Pet play (animal sounds): Barking, meowing or making other animal sounds during pet play you’ve both agreed to.
Leash play (being walked): Your partner takes you for a walk on a leash as part of agreed pet play. Saying yes to the walk doesn’t mean saying yes to an audience.
Kitten play: You take on the role of a cat during consensual pet play. No real animals are involved.

Women’s test · Dolls, dress-up & objectification

Role-play: You act out an agreed fictional role, like a nurse or a student, to add to the scene. The people taking part are adults.
Uniform role-play: You wear a uniform as part of an agreed adult role-play, such as a nurse, student or maid costume.
Dollification (dress-up and posing): Your partner dresses you up like a doll and decides how to style or pose you.
Nipple rings: Wearing nipple rings for decoration or as part of play.
Genital piercing ring: Wearing a ring in a genital piercing. Getting pierced is a job for a professional.
Navel ring: Wearing a ring in your belly button. For some people, it’s a sign of belonging.
Body shaving: Shaving off body hair, for example pubic hair.
Medical play (endoscope exam): Your partner looks inside your body using an endoscope. The focus is on the embarrassment or vulnerability of being examined or studied.
Sex toy testing (as the test subject): You’re the test subject while your partner tries different sex toys on you to see what they do.
Objectification (being displayed as art): Your partner poses you and displays you like a piece in a gallery.
Human furniture: Your partner treats you like a chair, a table or some other piece of furniture. The point is being treated like an object.
Human ashtray: Your partner treats you like an ashtray as part of an objectification or humiliation scene. Burns are a serious risk.
Maid role-play: You play the maid, do chores and take your partner’s orders.
Speech restrictions: Your partner decides what you’re allowed to say, how you say it or what you have to call them.

Women’s test · Outdoors & in public

Exposure play (secluded outdoors): Being naked outdoors in a private spot where other people won’t see you.
Outdoor bondage or control: Your partner restrains you or takes control of you outside.
Abandonment play (outdoors): You play out being sent away outdoors for a short time. Feeling alone can be part of the agreed scene.
Outdoor BDSM play: A BDSM scene outdoors, whether it involves toys or other kinds of play.
Exposure play (in public): Exposing your body somewhere public. Think about local rules and whether anyone nearby has agreed to see it.
Public play (sex or kink): Having sex or doing a BDSM scene somewhere public. People nearby may not have agreed to see it.
Rope bondage under clothes: You go out with rope bondage hidden under your clothes.
Discreet toy play (under clothes while out): Going out with a toy like a vibrating egg or butt plug hidden under your clothes.
Flashing (with consenting friends): Showing your private parts to friends who know what’s coming and have agreed to see it.
Flashing strangers (fantasy): The fantasy is showing your private parts to strangers. A stranger hasn’t agreed just because they’re there, and local laws may ban it.
Chastity (locked device): You wear a locked chastity device and your partner holds the key.
Wearing your collar in public: You wear a collar in public to signal your submissive role.

Women’s test · Animal-themed play

Animal role-play (simulated mistreatment): You take on an animal role while your partner acts out rough treatment. This is role-play between people, with clear limits agreed on first.
Insects crawling on you (formicophilia): Letting insects crawl on your body for the sensation. Formicophilia refers to an interest in this sensation in a sexual context.

Women’s test · Impact, pain & bondage

Face slapping: A partner slaps your face. It could be a light slap or a hard one, so force matters.
Gagging (wearing a gag): Your partner puts a gag in your mouth so it’s harder to talk.
Hair pulling: Your partner pulls your hair during sex or a scene. Agree on how hard beforehand.
Belting: Your partner hits you with a belt, usually on the butt or thighs.
Whipping: Your partner hits you with a whip. Agree first on how hard and where.
Caning: Your partner hits you with a cane. It can sting sharply and leave marks.
Paddling: Your partner hits you with a wooden board or paddle, usually on the butt.
Impact play (stick or club): Your partner hits you with a stick or club. It’s risky, especially near bones or vulnerable parts of the body.
Sensation play (bristle brush): A brush against your skin can feel tickly or a little painful.
Clit and pussy torture (CPT): Your partner uses things like slaps or clamps to cause pain around your external genitals.
Tight rope bondage: Your partner ties you tightly with rope. Pressure on nerves or blood vessels can injure you.
Rope suspension: Being held partly or fully off the ground by rope. This takes specialized rope skills.
Bondage (restraint devices): A device keeps you from moving freely.
Nipple clamps: Clamps squeeze your nipples for a bit of pain.
Electroplay (electrical stimulation): A device made for this kind of play uses electricity to create sensations. This item refers to low-voltage devices and still requires specialized equipment and know-how.
Wax play: Warm wax drips onto your skin for the heat. This item refers to low-temperature candles made for wax play.
Needle play: Needles puncture the skin as part of play. This is high risk and takes specialized expertise.
Body piercing: Having a part of your body pierced in a professional setting.
Branding: Getting a brand burned into your skin. This takes specialized expertise.
A tattoo to mark belonging: Getting a permanent tattoo with a design or words that show you belong to someone.
Cutting (blade play): A blade makes shallow cuts in your skin. This is high risk and requires strict infection control.
Fire play (punishment role-play): Acting out a punishment scene involving fire. Burns and other injuries are serious risks.
Water torture (suffocation scenario): Water is used to make you feel like you can’t breathe. This is extremely risky.
Breath play: Restricting your breathing for the sensation. It’s one of the most dangerous items here and can kill you.
Corporal punishment (other forms): Other kinds of physical punishment. Agree clearly on what is and isn’t in bounds.
Temperature play (ice): Using ice on your skin for the cold sensation.
Light spanking: How do you feel about a light spanking? Agree separately on how hard, where and how to stop.
Moderate spanking: How do you feel about a moderate spanking? People mean different things by “light” and “moderate,” so spell out what feels okay to you.
Biting (receiving): Being bitten. Saying yes to a bite doesn’t mean saying yes to broken skin or marks.
Nipple suction (pump play): A toy uses suction on your nipples. Rate this separately from nipple clamps.
Restraint clothing: Wearing a restraint garment that makes it harder to move.
Armbinder (both arms in one sleeve): Both arms go into the same sleeve so you can’t move them freely.
Handcuffs: Cuffs keep your hands from moving freely.
Thumbcuffs: Cuffs go around your thumbs and keep them from moving freely.
Linked cuffs: Several cuffs are linked together to limit how you move.
Staying quiet and waiting: You stay quiet and wait for instructions under conditions and for a length of time you’ve both agreed on. Agreeing to this doesn’t mean agreeing to be left alone or unattended.

Women’s test · Body fluids & toilet play

Cum play (licking): Licking up semen, whether or not you swallow it.
Cum swallowing: Swallowing semen. This is separate from licking it up.
Spit play: Your partner spits on you or you swallow their spit. Humiliation can be part of it.
Watersports (drinking piss): Drinking your partner’s urine. It’s a kind of pee play, also called watersports.
Golden shower: Your partner pees on your body.
Cunnilingus (giving): You use your mouth on your partner’s vulva, often as a way to show submission.
Watersports (peeing on cue or in front of a partner): You pee while your partner watches or when they tell you to. The embarrassment can be part of it.
Enema play (partner controls release): With an enema, liquid goes into the rectum. In this item your partner decides when you can let it out. The temperature and amount of liquid both matter for safety.
Rimming (giving): You use your mouth on your partner’s anus. For some people, it’s about submission or intimacy.
Scat play (pooping on cue or in front of a partner): You poop while your partner watches or when they tell you to. The embarrassment can be part of it.
Scat play (being smeared with feces): Poop is smeared on your body. There’s a serious risk of infection.
Scat play (eating feces): Eating feces carries a very high risk of infection or parasites.
Swallowing your partner’s phlegm: Swallowing mucus your partner coughs up.
Swallowing period blood: Taking menstrual blood by mouth can pass on infections carried in blood.

Women’s test · Control & discipline

Verbal humiliation: Your partner uses degrading words to humiliate you. Agree in advance on which words and topics are okay.
Personal degradation: Your partner insults who you are or attacks your character. This takes a clear yes first.
Psychological control: Your partner uses psychological tactics to influence or control what you think or do.
Online D/s (monitoring or instructions): Your partner checks up on you online or gives you orders there.
Verbal discipline: Your partner uses spoken rules, orders or a telling-off to discipline you.
Time-limited D/s rules: You follow rules you worked out together for a set amount of time. You can change your mind and stop at any time.
Day-to-day control (D/s): You follow rules you’ve both agreed on in daily life. You keep your autonomy and can withdraw consent at any time.
Sight restriction (D/s): Your partner temporarily limits your vision or sets agreed rules about what you can look at.
D/s clothing rules: You choose what to wear within rules you and your partner agreed to.
D/s behavior rules: You agree on rules for certain things you do, the positions you hold or parts of your daily routine.
D/s food and drink rules: You and your partner agree on rules around food and drink. That doesn’t include being denied food you need or having your health put at risk.
Bathroom control (agreed rules): You agree on rules about bathroom breaks. That doesn’t include being forced to hold your pee or being stopped from going when you need to.

Women’s test · Other

D/s scene (multiple subs): You’re one of several subs being given directions or disciplined at the same time. A sub is someone taking the submissive role.
Co-topping (multiple Doms, one sub): Several Doms work together to give directions to or discipline one sub. A Dom is someone taking the dominant role.
Public play (online, with an audience): A BDSM scene other people can see online. Think about everyone’s privacy.
Tickling: A feather or something similar tickles your skin.
Long-term D/s (daily-life control): Your dominant partner takes an agreed role in controlling your day-to-day life over a longer period.
Confinement play (short-term): You play the submissive role and are kept in an agreed space for a short time.
Sleep deprivation: Your sleep is cut short or limited. That can affect your health.
Hypnosis: Using hypnosis to influence how someone feels or thinks. This takes specialized expertise.
Sex with a same-sex partner: Having sex with a partner of the same sex.
Photos with your face out of frame: Someone takes photos without showing your face. Other features can still give away who you are. They need a separate yes to keep or share the photos.
Photos with your face in frame: Someone takes photos that show your face. Saying yes to the photo doesn’t mean saying yes to saving it, sharing it or posting it publicly.
Filming with your face out of frame: Someone films you without showing your face. Your voice or what’s in the background can still give away who you are. They need a separate yes to keep or share the video.
Filming with your face in frame: Someone films you with your face visible. Saying yes to being filmed doesn’t mean saying yes to saving the video, sharing it or posting it publicly.

Men’s test · Foot worship & foot play

Kneeling in worship: Kneeling at someone's feet as a gesture of submission or worship.
Footjob: Using your feet to stimulate a partner's genitals.
Smelling feet: Enjoying the smell of someone's feet.
Licking clean feet: Licking clean feet, with the focus on touch.
Licking unwashed feet: Licking unwashed feet, with the focus on their natural smell.
Licking clean socks: Licking clean socks for the feel of the fabric.
Licking worn socks: Licking worn, unwashed socks for their smell or as an act of submission.
Sock gag: Being gagged with a sock as part of a scene. A gag can obstruct breathing.
Licking scene shoes: Licking shoes set aside for play as a sign of submission.
Licking street shoes: Licking shoes that have been worn outdoors, including the dirt or smell.
Being fed by foot: Being fed by a partner using their feet.
Drinking foot-wash water: Drinking water a partner has washed their feet in.
Drinking sock-wash water: Drinking water used to wash a partner's socks.
Deep-throating toes: Taking someone's toes deep into your mouth. This can obstruct breathing.
Getting kicked: Taking kicks to the body as part of an agreed scene.
Barefoot trampling: Being stepped on with bare feet.
High-heel trampling: Being stepped on in high heels. A heel can concentrate pressure and cause injury.

Men’s test · Sex & submission

Eating pussy: Giving oral sex to someone's vulva.
Rimming: Giving oral stimulation around someone's anus.
Ejaculation denial: Having a partner forbid or delay your ejaculation.
Masturbating for an audience: Masturbating in front of the person directing the scene.
Toy torture: Having sex toys used on you for intense sensation or control.
Licking up your own cum: Licking up your own semen after ejaculating.
Receiving anal penetration: Being penetrated anally with fingers, toys, or other implements.
Anal stretching: Having your anus gradually stretched with a toy or other implement.
Urethral sounding: Having a sound or other implement inserted into the urethra. This carries injury and infection risks.
Wooden horse: Being made to straddle a wooden-horse device as part of restraint or sensation play.
Dildo penetration: Being penetrated with a dildo or other phallic toy.

Men’s test · Puppy play

Puppy play poses: Holding a dog-like pose, such as being on all fours.
Wearing a collar: Wearing a collar as a sign of submission or belonging within a dynamic.
Cuffs and shackles: Having your wrists or ankles restrained with cuffs or shackles.
Playing a guard dog: Taking on a watchdog role as part of puppy play.
Crawling like a dog: Moving around on all fours in a puppy play scene.
Indoor leash walk: Being led around indoors on a leash in a puppy play scene.
Peeing like a dog: Mimicking a dog's posture while urinating as part of roleplay.
Eating from a dog bowl: Eating straight from a bowl or the floor with your mouth.
Eating food someone spits out: Eating food after the person directing the scene spits it out.
Receiving spit: Receiving or licking up the other person's saliva.
Human spittoon: Being treated as a receptacle for someone else's spit.
Puppy gear: Wearing a hood, costume, or other gear to play the part of a dog.
Barking on cue: Barking like a dog as part of puppy play.
Underwear over your head: Wearing someone’s underwear over your head in a humiliation scene.
Licking worn underwear: Licking underwear that has been worn and left unwashed.
Human ashtray: Being made to catch someone's cigarette ash. Hot ash can burn.
Kennel confinement: Being confined in a cage as part of puppy play.
Pet confinement: Being kept in a designated area for a longer pet-roleplay scene.
Being ridden like a pony: Having a partner ride on your back as part of animal roleplay.

Men’s test · Objectification & toys

Roleplay: Taking on a character or persona in an agreed scene.
Nipple rings: Wearing rings on your nipples as decoration or for sensation.
Glans ring: Wearing a ring around the head of the penis for sensation or restriction.
Anal ring: Wearing a ring at the anus for decoration or control.
Chastity device: Wearing a lockable device so a partner can control access to your genitals.
Butt plug: Wearing a plug in the anus as part of a scene.
Washable body writing: Having a partner write words or marks on your skin with something that washes off.
Long-lasting body writing: Having words or marks put on your skin with a pigment intended to stay on.
Cross-dressing (CD): Wearing clothes associated with a different gender as part of a scene.
Head shaving: Having your head shaved as part of submission or a change of appearance.
Body shaving: Having body hair, such as pubic hair, shaved during a scene.
Being played with using toys: Having a partner use sex toys on you for stimulation or control.
Restrained to furniture: Having your movement restricted by being secured to a table or chair.
Facesitting (receiving): Having a partner sit on your face, sometimes as part of oral sex. It can restrict breathing.
Enema with a mild liquid: Receiving an enema with a mild liquid, such as water.
Enema with an irritating liquid: Receiving an enema with a liquid that irritates the bowel. It can injure tissue.
Photos or video with your face visible: Being recorded in a scene with your face visible. Agree separately on recording and who can see it.
Faceless photos or video: Being recorded in a scene with your face out of view. Agree separately on recording and sharing.
Being treated as a sex toy: Taking the role of a partner's toy as part of consensual objectification.
Human furniture: Being used as a chair, table, or other piece of furniture in a scene.
Manservant roleplay: Taking on a male servant role and providing service to a partner.

Men’s test · Animal-themed play

Simulated animal-role abuse: Playing the part of an animal in a staged mistreatment fantasy between consenting adults.
Insects crawling on your skin: The idea of insects crawling on your body for the sensation.

Men’s test · Outdoors & in public

Outdoor submission: Being restrained or controlled by a partner outdoors.
Outdoor banishment: Being temporarily sent away or isolated outdoors as part of a scene.
Outdoor play: Taking part in kink play outdoors.
Public exposure: Being exposed in a public setting. Everyone present must have agreed to be involved.
Public play: Taking part in sexual or kink play in a public setting. Everyone present must have agreed to be involved.
Bondage in public: Being tied or restrained in a public setting. Everyone present must have agreed to be involved.
Toy use in public: Having sex toys used on you in a public setting. Everyone present must have agreed to be involved.
Chastity device outdoors: Wearing a lockable chastity device during outdoor or public play.
Exposing your penis to someone you know: Showing your penis to someone you know who has agreed to see it.
Exposing your penis to a stranger: Showing your penis to someone new who has agreed to see it.
Outdoor leash walk: Being led on a leash outdoors in a puppy play scene.

Men’s test · Impact, pain & bondage

Getting slapped in the face: Receiving a slap to the face in an agreed impact scene.
Caning: Taking strikes from a cane.
Whipping: Taking strikes from a whip.
Wooden paddling: Taking strikes from a wooden paddle.
Brush sensation play: Having a bristled brush used on your skin for texture, tickling, or light pain.
Punching and kicking: Taking punches or kicks as part of a scene.
Wearing a gag: Wearing a gag that limits speech. A gag can obstruct breathing.
Suspension bondage: Being supported partly or fully off the ground by bondage gear. Falls and nerve injuries are possible.
Mechanical restraints: Having cuffs or other restraint gear used to restrict your movement.
Tying up: Being tied up with rope or similar gear.
Breath play: Having your breathing restricted. This can cause serious injury or death.
Nipple clamps: Having clamps placed on your nipples for pressure or pain.
Weighted nipple clamps: Having weights attached to nipple clamps to add a pulling sensation.
Penis clamps: Having clamps applied to the penis for pressure or pain.
Scrotum clamps: Having clamps applied to the scrotum for pressure or pain.
Weights hung from the penis: Having weights hung from the penis. This can injure tissue.
Weights hung from the scrotum: Having weights hung from the scrotum. This can injure tissue.
Penis whipping: Taking whip strikes to the penis, a specific form of cock and ball torture (CBT).
Groin kicking: Taking kicks to the groin. This carries a serious injury risk.
Tickling: Being tickled with a feather or similar tool for sensation.
Electroplay: Receiving electrical stimulation as part of a kink scene.
Lower-temperature wax play: Having lower-melting-point wax dripped onto your skin. Burns are still possible.
Hotter wax play: Having higher-temperature wax dripped onto your skin. It carries a greater burn risk.
Needle play: Having needles pierce the skin in a scene. Injury and infection are possible.
Body piercing: Having a body piercing made as part of the interest or scene.
Corporal punishment: Receiving agreed physical discipline in a roleplay or power-exchange dynamic.
Mummification: Being wrapped in material that restricts movement. This can affect breathing and circulation.
Water-based breath restriction: Having water used to create a feeling of suffocation. This can cause serious injury or death.
Simulated fire torture: Taking part in a fire-torture fantasy staged as roleplay.
Ice play: Having ice applied to the skin for cold sensation.
Branding: Having a permanent burn mark made on the skin.
Body modification: Having a lasting physical change made as part of a kink interest.
Castration: Surgical removal of the testicles. The survey asks about interest and gives no authorization for an act.

Men’s test · Control & discipline

Verbal humiliation: Having a partner use agreed degrading words or insults toward you.
Personal degradation: Having a scene target your identity or self-worth within agreed limits.
Mind-control roleplay: Playing out a fantasy of someone influencing your thoughts or choices.
Online control: Following a partner's directions or being monitored remotely within a negotiated dynamic.
Public online scene: Taking part in a kink scene that others can see online. Agree on the audience and privacy first.

Men’s test · Service & group scenes

Short-term confinement: Being kept in an agreed space for a short scene.
Long-term confinement: Exploring extended confinement or control over daily life within a negotiated dynamic.
Group submission: Taking part in a scene with other subs under the same direction.
Serving multiple Doms: Having more than one Dominant direct the scene.
Being watched by people you know: Having people you know watch a scene with everyone's agreement.
Being watched by strangers: Having people you don't know watch a scene with everyone's agreement.
Humiliation by people you know: Having people you know take part in an agreed humiliation scene.
Humiliation by strangers: Having people you don't know take part in an agreed humiliation scene.
Sleep deprivation: Having your sleep restricted within a dynamic. Losing sleep can harm health and judgment.
Erotic hypnosis: Exploring hypnosis with a partner as part of a kink scene.
Domestic service: Doing household chores as part of a service or submission role.
Personal service: Attending to a partner's day-to-day needs as part of submission.

Men’s test · Body fluids & toilet play

Urination service: Attending to a partner while they urinate, or receiving their urine.
Defecation service: Attending to a partner while they defecate, or coming into contact with their feces. Infection is possible.
Golden shower: Having someone pee on you. This is a specific form of watersports.
Drinking piss: Drinking someone else's urine.
Food mixed with urine: Eating food with urine mixed into it.
Licking used toilet paper: Licking toilet paper that has already been used. This carries infection risks.
Scat smearing: Having feces spread onto your body. This carries infection risks.
Eating scat: Eating feces. This carries serious infection risks.
Toilet cleaning: Cleaning a toilet by hand or mouth as part of service or humiliation. Oral contact carries infection risks.
Ingesting menstrual blood: Taking someone else's menstrual blood into your mouth.
Urine enema: Receiving an enema that contains urine. This can cause injury or infection.

Dominant test · Sex & orgasm control

Rape play (CNC): Directing an adult roleplay scene that simulates forced sex by prior agreement and with a way to stop.
Dominating multiple subs: Directing a scene with more than one submissive partner.
Ordering oral sex: Directing a partner to give oral sex within agreed limits.
Ordering a facial: Directing a partner to ejaculate onto someone's face in an agreed scene.
Ordering a creampie: Directing a partner to ejaculate inside someone during agreed penetration.
Ordering anal sex: Directing anal sex within the terms of an agreed scene.
Toy play as the top: Using sex toys on a partner for sensation or control.
Forced orgasm: Bringing a partner to orgasm as part of agreed orgasm control.
Inducing squirting or loss of bladder control: Exploring control around a partner squirting or losing bladder control. These are distinct responses.
Ordering a masturbation show: Directing a partner to masturbate while you watch.
Orgasm denial: Keeping a partner from orgasming or deciding when they may orgasm.
Vaginal stretching: Directing an activity that gradually stretches a partner's vaginal opening.
Anal stretching: Directing an activity that gradually stretches a partner's anus.
Play with two penises or dildos at once: Directing play involving two penises, two dildos, or one of each at the same time.
Play with multiple penises or dildos: Directing play involving more than two penises or dildos.
Directing double penetration (DP): Directing simultaneous vaginal and anal penetration.

Dominant test · Handling & puppy play

Cage confinement: Using a cage to confine a partner in a negotiated scene.
Collars and shackles: Putting a collar or shackles on a partner as part of a scene.
Feeding control: Deciding how a partner is fed within a pet-play scene.
Ordering a partner to crawl: Directing a partner to move on all fours in a pet-play scene.
Receiving foot worship: Having a partner lick your feet.
Trampling a partner: Stepping on a partner as part of agreed play.
Riding a partner: Taking the rider role while a partner acts as the mount in animal roleplay.

Dominant test · Roleplay & objectification

Directing roleplay: Choosing the characters or setup for an agreed scene.
Ordering a uniform seduction scene: Asking a partner to wear a uniform and play out a seduction scene.
Dollification: Having a partner dress or present as a doll under your direction.
Putting in nipple rings: Directing the placement of rings in a partner's nipples.
Putting in genital rings: Directing the placement of rings in a partner's genital area.
Putting in navel rings: Directing the placement of a ring in a partner's navel.
Ordering body shaving: Directing a partner to shave body hair as part of a scene.
Endoscope play: Exploring the idea of using an endoscope to look inside a partner's body. This carries injury and infection risks.
Experimental implements: Trying unfamiliar or unconventional implements within the limits of a negotiated scene.
Displaying a partner as artwork: Posing, decorating, or presenting a partner as a work of art.
Human furniture: Using a partner as a piece of furniture within an agreed scene.
Human ashtray: Treating a partner as a receptacle for cigarette ash. Hot ash can burn.
Maid roleplay: Directing a partner who has taken on a maid role.
Speech rules: Deciding what a partner may say within the agreed scene.

Dominant test · Outdoor & public play

Directing outdoor exposure: Directing a partner to expose their body outdoors with the agreement of everyone present.
Outdoor domination: Controlling or restraining a partner outdoors in an agreed scene.
Directing outdoor banishment: Sending a partner away or isolating them outdoors as part of an agreed scene.
Directing outdoor play: Taking the lead in kink play outdoors.
Ordering public exposure: Directing a partner to expose themselves in public with the agreement of everyone present.
Public teasing: Teasing a partner in public within agreed limits. Involving others requires their consent.
Concealed bondage in public: Keeping a partner in restraints hidden under clothes in a public setting.
Concealed toy use in public: Using a toy hidden under a partner's clothing in a public setting.
Ordering genital exposure to friends: Directing a partner to show their genitals to friends who have agreed to see them.
Ordering genital exposure to strangers: Directing a partner to show their genitals to people they don't know who have agreed to see them.
Chastity belt control: Using a chastity belt to control a partner's access to their genitals.
Having a partner wear a collar in public: Asking a partner to wear their collar in a public setting.

Dominant test · Animal-role themes

Directing simulated animal-role abuse: Directing a consenting adult in a staged animal-mistreatment fantasy.
Directing insect crawling play: Having insects crawl on a partner's skin as the focus of a sensation-play fantasy.

Dominant test · Impact, bondage & sensation

Face slapping: Giving a partner an agreed slap to the face.
Gagging a partner: Putting a gag on a partner to limit speech. A gag can obstruct breathing.
Hair pulling: Pulling a partner's hair as part of a scene.
Belting: Using a belt for impact play.
Whipping: Using a whip for impact play.
Caning: Using a cane for impact play.
Wooden paddling: Using a wooden paddle for impact play.
Impact play with a stick: Using a stick or club for impact in an agreed scene.
Brush sensation play: Using a bristled brush on a partner's skin for texture or sensation.
Clit and pussy torture (CPT): Using intense stimulation or pain on a partner's vulva in an agreed scene.
Tight bondage: Restricting a partner with tight ties. This can affect nerves and circulation.
Suspension bondage: Supporting a partner partly or fully off the ground with bondage gear. Falls and nerve injuries are possible.
Using restraints: Using restraint gear to limit a partner's movements.
Applying nipple clamps: Using clamps to create pressure or pain at a partner's nipples.
Electroplay: Using electrical stimulation on a partner during a scene.
Wax play: Dripping melted wax onto a partner's skin for sensation. Burns are possible.
Needle play: Using needles to pierce a partner's skin in a scene. Injury and infection are possible.
Planning a body piercing: Deciding on a piercing or its placement with a partner.
Branding: Making a permanent burn mark on a partner's skin.
Planning a tattoo: Choosing a tattoo design or placement with a partner.
Cutting play: Exploring an agreed scene that involves cutting skin. Injury and infection are possible.
Directing simulated fire torture: Directing a staged fire-torture fantasy.
Water-based breath restriction: Using water to create a feeling of suffocation. This can cause serious injury or death.
Breath play: Restricting a partner's breathing. This can cause serious injury or death.
Corporal punishment: Giving agreed physical discipline in a roleplay or power-exchange dynamic.
Ice play: Using ice on a partner's skin for cold sensation.

Dominant test · Bodily fluids & toilet play

Ordering a partner to lick up cum: Directing a partner to lick up semen as part of an agreed scene.
Ordering a partner to swallow cum: Directing a partner to swallow semen as part of an agreed scene.
Spitting on a partner: Using spit on a partner in an agreed scene.
Ordering a partner to drink piss: Directing a partner to drink urine in a watersports scene.
Giving a golden shower: Peeing on a consenting partner.
Ordering a partner to eat pussy: Directing a partner to give oral sex to someone's vulva.
Controlling when a partner can pee: Deciding when a partner may urinate within a negotiated scene.
Giving an enema: Administering an enema to a partner as part of an agreed scene.
Ordering a partner to rim: Directing a partner to give oral stimulation around someone's anus.
Controlling when a partner can defecate: Directing when a partner may have a bowel movement within the scope of a negotiated scene.
Scat smearing: Spreading feces onto a partner's body. This carries infection risks.
Ordering a partner to eat scat: Directing a partner to ingest feces. This carries serious infection risks.
Ordering a partner to ingest phlegm: Directing a partner to take coughed-up mucus into their mouth.
Ordering a partner to ingest menstrual blood: Directing a partner to take menstrual blood into their mouth.

Dominant test · Humiliation & control

Verbal humiliation: Using agreed degrading language or insults toward a partner.
Personal degradation: Targeting a partner's identity or self-worth within an agreed humiliation scene.
Mind-control roleplay: Playing the role of someone who controls a partner's thoughts or choices.
Online domination: Giving directions or exercising negotiated control remotely.
Verbal discipline: Correcting a partner with words as part of agreed rules or protocols.

Dominant test · Other

Training multiple subs: Directing routines or training with more than one submissive partner.
Co-topping with other Doms: Sharing the lead or having other Dominants assist during a scene.
Running a public online scene: Directing a kink scene with an online audience. Agree on the audience and privacy first.
Tickling as punishment: Using tickling as a form of agreed discipline.
Long-term confinement: Exploring extended confinement or control of a partner's daily life within a negotiated dynamic.
Short-term confinement: Keeping a partner in an agreed space for a short scene.
Sleep deprivation: Restricting a partner's sleep as part of a fantasy or dynamic. Losing sleep can harm health and judgment.
Leading erotic hypnosis: Taking the lead in hypnosis as part of a kink scene.
Arranging same-gender sex: Arranging an encounter between consenting adults of the same gender.

Want to sort out what you’re into or where you draw the line?

Take the women’s BDSM test Take the men’s BDSM test Take the dominant BDSM test

Terminology references

Our definitions are written for this assessment. We check English usage against the FetLife Kinktionary, the Xeromag BDSM glossary, the Kink Checklist activity index, and the Bloomington Kink glossary.