Ghosting
what it means
No message, no closure, just silence. It's the defining unpleasantness of app-based dating, and it happens in friendships and hiring too.
Ending a relationship by disappearing completely with no explanation.
the origin story
Entered wide use around 2014-2015 as dating apps made low-cost disappearance easy.
It was added to Merriam-Webster in 2017, and the term spread far beyond dating into recruitment, where candidates and employers ghost each other routinely. The behaviour is old; the frictionless technology that enabled it at scale is what made it need a name.
in the wild
Did he ever reply?
No. Straight ghosted after three months.
Four interviews and then nothing.
Companies ghost too.
how to use it
- Describing sudden unexplained disappearance
- Dating and hiring contexts
- Casual conversation
- About someone who explained they needed space
- Where safety was a reason for cutting contact
- As a demand for a response someone doesn't owe
related terms
receipts
Community feedback
keep scrolling
Glow-Down
The opposite of a glow-up — appearing to have declined rather than improved.
Slept On
Underrated — overlooked despite being genuinely good.
Hot Girl Summer
A season spent being confident, unbothered and out enjoying yourself.
Cheat Code
A trick or advantage that makes something much easier than it should be.