ghosting
2 synonyms for ghosting, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — The practice of ending a friendship, romance or working relationship by suddenly cutting off all contact and ignoring every message, without any explanation.
Synonyms
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
stonewalling
cutting off
How to use ghosting
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
ghosting someone
get ghosted
job ghosting
screen ghosting
Informal but now completely mainstream, including in journalism and HR writing.
Etymology
From ghost, in the sense of vanishing like an apparition, plus -ing.
Full origin of ghosting →Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between ghosting and breadcrumbing?
Ghosting is total silence: the person stops replying and never explains. Breadcrumbing is the opposite pattern, where someone sends just enough occasional messages to keep you interested without ever committing to meeting. Ghosting ends things; breadcrumbing strings them out.
Why do people ghost?
Most commonly to avoid an uncomfortable conversation, because saying 'I am not interested' feels harder than saying nothing. It can also follow feeling overwhelmed, or be a way of getting out of a situation that felt unsafe.
What causes ghosting on a monitor?
Slow pixel response. When pixels cannot change colour quickly enough, a faint trail of the previous frame lingers behind moving objects. It is most visible on older LCD panels and in fast games.
