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The role words in BDSM, side by side, and how consent turns them into a booking.
Last checked October 2026
Dom, domme, sub and switch are the role words in BDSM. A dom leads, a sub follows, a switch does both, and every one of them works inside limits that are agreed beforehand.
The roles
Dom. Short for dominant, the person who leads and sets the rules within what was agreed.
Domme. A woman in the dominant role. A professional one may be called a dominatrix: see what a dominatrix is.
Sub. Short for submissive, the person who follows within the limits they set. What does submissive mean? goes further.
Switch. Someone who enjoys both roles, sometimes in the same session.
Top and bottom. About who gives and who receives sensation, which is not always the same as who is in charge.
How roles become a booking
An escort who lists domination is offering to lead, and one who lists submissive is offering to follow, in each case within limits. They are offers and not promises, and the conversation before the booking is part of it. Fetish and domination escorts sets out what to agree.
Consent
Roles are chosen, not assumed. A safe word stops everything at once, hard limits are never crossed, and the person leading is responsible for staying inside what was agreed. What is BDSM? and what kink means explain the rest.
Common questions
What does dom mean?
Short for dominant, the person who leads and sets the rules within what was agreed. A woman in the role may be called a domme.
What does sub mean?
Short for submissive, the person who follows within the limits they have set.
What is a switch?
Someone who enjoys both the dominant and the submissive role, sometimes in the same session.
What is the difference between top and bottom?
It is about who gives and who receives sensation, which is not always the same as who is in charge.
What is BDSM?
An umbrella term for consensual practices involving restraint, power exchange, role play and intense sensation. The letters stand for bondage and discipline, dominance and submission, and sadism and masochism.
What does BDSM stand for?
Bondage and discipline, dominance and submission, sadism and masochism. The first letters of those three pairs make up the word.
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