GlossaryCraft technique
Subtext
Subtext is what a character really means underneath the words they actually say. People rarely say exactly what they feel, so good dialogue lets the audience sense the real meaning without anyone spelling it out.
If two characters argue about the dishes but the fight is really about one of them leaving, the dishes are the text and the leaving is the subtext. The audience feels the gap between the two, and that gap is what makes a scene feel alive.
A quick test: if a character announces their feelings in plain words ("I am angry because you hurt me"), there is probably room for subtext.
JORDAN
You want the last slice?
SAM
Take it. I'm not hungry.
(Neither of them is talking about pizza.)