side piece
Romantic backup option
A side piece is a person someone has a sexual or romantic relationship with while already committed to a primary partner.
The term emphasizes the secondary, often secret nature of the arrangement—the side piece exists alongside but separate from the main relationship.
He found out she'd been keeping a side piece for months.
The usage is informal and can carry connotations of deception or infidelity, though some use it more neutrally in contexts of open relationships.
Illicit female lover
- paramourLover in secret affair
- loverRomantic intimate
- flingForceful toss, or tryst
- affairRomantic entanglement outside commitment
adultery · cheating · liaison · tryst · concubine · homewrecker · kept woman · other woman
Concealed from authorities
- hiddenKept out of sight
- covertIntentionally concealed
- discreetCareful to avoid notice
- secretConcealed information
furtive · hush-hush · behind closed doors · under wraps · private · concealed · unacknowledged · double life
mistress
Illicit female lover
affair · adultery · cheating · liaison · tryst · concubine · homewrecker · kept woman · other woman · other man
clandestine
Concealed from authorities
secret · furtive · hush-hush · behind closed doors · under wraps · private · concealed · unacknowledged · double life · compartmentalized
- forbidden loveforbidden love, forbidden romance, illicit love, secret love, forbidden fruit
- infidelityadultery, affair, adulteress, cheating, cheater
- betrayalbackstab, betray, betrayal, traitor, backstabber
- loverslover, lovers, beloved, sweethearts, sweetheart
- relationship problemsaffair, disloyalty, adultery, unfaithfulness, cheating
- dating slangghosting, breadcrumbing, talking, situationship, cuffing