Everything You Need to Know About Praise Kinks

Dream of being adored, admired, complimented and worshipped? (Us too) Enter the praise kink.

Learn all you need to know about praise kinks and get inspired by our handy (and tbh quite filthy) praise kink phrases below!

First up, some essential definitions.

Kink: A kink is a sexual act you might do by yourself or with a consenting partner(s) that is typically considered out of the mainstream. 

Fetish: A fetish on the other hand, although similar to a kink is something that must be present for you to feel sexual arousal.

So, this one pretty much does what it says on the tin.

A praise kink, otherwise known as affirmation play is essentially when someone gets off on positive reinforcement, being complimented, praised or receiving approval.

Essentially a form of dirty talk, having this kink makes your sex life and communication super intimate and arousing!

Now, you might be thinking, this is one for the people pleasers. Although people inclined to serve others’ needs might indeed lean towards praise kinks, there are other aspects to the praise kink that people can derive sexual pleasure from:

1. Embarrassment: Some people haven’t quite mastered the art of taking a compliment so overwhelming praise can bring up uncomfortable feelings. In this sense, some with a praise kink enjoy the psychological arousal of having to sit with this discomfort, which actually gives them great pleasure. Physically this could look like blushing or stuttering (sounds pretty hot if you ask us).

2. Serving others: No surprises here, service-oriented people with a praise kink, those who “live to please” are quite partial to doing a good job (and hearing about it). Meeting their partner’s needs and living up to expectations is a massive turn-on.

3. Feeling valued: Closely related to our second point, this aspect of the praise kink is less about achievement and more about having your physical attributes admired. It goes without saying that there’s a lot of overlap between people with a praise kink and those with words of affirmation as their love language. For these kinky minxes, being seen as beautiful and inherently valued is the key.

Sure, we all like praise... but maybe not this much.

Don’t get us wrong, it’s very lovely and of course, receiving praise and validation makes us feel good. But with a praise kink, that euphoric feeling is intense and definitely sexually charged! It even has the ability to send you soaring into subspace or topspace.

When we talk about praise kinks, we don’t just mean incorporating a bit of praise here and there (which you’re probably doing already). If you have this kink, it’s likely the focus of your sexual interactions.

Well, only you can truly know the answer to that.

These questions might bring you closer to the answer though...

• Is your love language words of affirmation by any chance? No guarantees here but as mentioned above, there is some overlap.
• When you think back on your hottest sex scenes, do the complimentary things your partner said to you stand out as the best bits? You already know what they’re saying is true, it’s just heavenly to hear the words cascading out of their mouth. Sound familiar?
• Do you have a sexual, submissive/dominant, or otherwise kink-based response to receiving positive reinforcement?

If any of these sound like you, then you may well be the proud owner of a praise kink!

In short, yes. It’s largely considered to be on the softer end of BDSM acts but as with all things BDSM, you can make it what you want.

Praise kinks are more common in a power-play dynamic and can be a cornerstone of dom/sub relationships. These relationships aren’t exclusively about harsh punishment but often involve gentle and intimate positive reinforcement for good behaviour.

Typically, submissive partners are into praise kinks but it’s not unheard of for a dom to want you to sing their praises too.

There’s no right or wrong way of doing it but if the only thing that comes to mind is ‘good girl/ good boy' or ‘I love your (insert body part here)’ then you might need reminding that variety is the spice of life, my friend.

If you really want to make them drool, definitely get specific with your praise and don’t worry if you can’t quite get out full sentences. In fact, sometimes it’s even better if your words are stifled by your delicious moans.

Handy Tips:

• You’re getting intimate with this person for a reason. Use these reasons to inspire your praise and make sure your compliments are always genuine!
• In the moment, base your praise on your senses. Taste, touch, sight, smell and sound are powerful descriptors.
• It can be hard to think clearly when things are sexually charged. Maybe screenshot the pic below and have a few phrases in mind before you get down to it.

Want to let a significant someone know you may be into praise?

The beauty of sharing a potential kink is that you get to be vulnerable and open with your partner(s). This fosters stronger communication, understanding and intimacy, what’s not to love?

As with all sex, communication is key. A phrase that may sound positive to you could be interpreted differently by your partner(s) so be sure to get their consent and learn what floats their boat.

We don’t believe in being shy about sex but we know conversations about kinks and preferences can be daunting. One super easy way to get talking about praise kink is to share this article with your lover(s)!