Love-bombing
Etymology
Coined in the 1970s and associated with cults — notably the Unification Church ("Moonies"), who used the term for showering recruits in affection. Psychologists later applied it to abusive and narcissistic relationships, and it entered popular relationship vocabulary online in the 2010s.
noun · /LUV-bom-ing/
Overwhelming someone with affection, attention, and gifts early on as a way to gain control over them.
What it names
It names manipulation disguised as devotion: an intense flood of adoration that creates dependence and lowers a person’s guard before control is exerted. Recognizing it lets you distinguish genuine ardor from a tactic — the tell is that the intensity is a lever, not a feeling.
Example
He sent flowers to my office every day for a week before our second date — in hindsight, textbook love-bombing.
Related idea
The manipulative mirror of breadcrumbing: love-bombing floods you to hook you, while breadcrumbing starves you with just enough to keep you waiting.