gaslight
1 synonym for gaslight, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — A lamp that produces light by burning piped gas.
Synonyms
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
gas lamp
How to use gaslight
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
gaslight someone
being gaslit
gaslighting behavior
lit by gaslight
The verb is now common in everyday and psychological contexts, while the noun mostly appears when describing historical settings.
Etymology
The noun combines 'gas' with 'light', naming the lamps that burned piped gas for illumination. The verb comes from the 1938 stage play Gas Light by Patrick Hamilton and its later film versions, in which a husband manipulates his wife into doubting her own sanity.
Full origin of gaslight →Frequently asked questions
What does it mean to gaslight someone?
It means deliberately manipulating them so they start to doubt their own memory, perceptions, or sanity, usually to gain control over them.
Where does the word 'gaslight' come from?
The verb traces back to a 1938 play called Gas Light, later adapted into films, in which a husband secretly manipulates gas lamps and other details to convince his wife she is losing her mind.
Is gaslight still used to mean an actual lamp?
Yes, though it is now mostly a historical term for the gas-burning lamps used before electric lighting became common.
