ghosting
GOH-sting
/ˈɡoʊ.stɪŋ/
The act of abruptly ending all communication with someone without explanation in digital messaging or personal relationships.
Implies sudden, total, and unexplained silence, treating the other party as if you have vanished like a ghost.
The story behind the word. While 'ghost' is an ancient Germanic word for spirit, 'ghosting' as a slang verb for cutting off electronic contact surfaced in online dating around 2011 before expanding into general business vocabulary.
Word relationships
- disappearing: Disappearing is generic, whereas ghosting specifically targets cutting off interpersonal messaging.
- transparency: Open, honest communication about ending contact.
Commonly confused with
- muting: Muting silences incoming notifications, whereas ghosting is withholding all outgoing replies.
Word family
- ghost (verb): To suddenly cease responding to digital messages
Collocations
- experience ghosting
- ghosting culture
- corporate ghosting
Idioms & expressions
- turn into a ghost
Example sentences
- "Corporate ghosting occurs when employers suddenly stop replying to job candidates after several interview rounds." Workplace Trends
Memory hook
Disappearing completely without a trace like a GHOST. Vanishing without leaving a single word.
When not to use
Do not use if someone takes a few hours to reply or sets their status to offline temporarily.
Fun facts
- In 2015, the word 'ghosting' was officially added to major English dictionaries due to its widespread adoption.
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