noun

ghosting

GOHST-ing

Ghosting (noun) means the practice of ending a friendship, romance or working relationship by suddenly cutting off all contact and ignoring every message, without any explanation. Example: “Three good dates and then ghosting, with no reply for a fortnight.”

noun

informal The practice of ending a friendship, romance or working relationship by suddenly cutting off all contact and ignoring every message, without any explanation.

"Three good dates and then ghosting, with no reply for a fortnight."

"Recruiters complain about candidate ghosting after an offer has been accepted."

technical A faint secondary image that appears beside or behind the intended one on a screen, print or photograph.

"Fast-moving objects leave visible ghosting on the older panel."

verb

Present participle of ghost: to disappear from someone's life without warning or explanation.

"She thinks he is ghosting her, but his phone is broken."

How to Use Ghosting

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishVanishing on someone and never replying again.

When to use it

Informal but now completely mainstream, including in journalism and HR writing.

Memory tip

The passive is very common: 'I got ghosted' or 'I was ghosted'.

Trace the full origin ↓

Easily confused with

breadcrumbing benching stonewalling →

Common pairings

ghosting someone get ghosted job ghosting screen ghosting

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Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

Three good dates and then _____, with no reply for a fortnight.

Etymology

From ghost, in the sense of vanishing like an apparition, plus -ing.

Origin: English

Synonyms

View more →

stonewalling cutting off

Related Words

cutting stonewalling

Rhymes for ghosting

hosting posting costing frosting boosting

See all rhymes for 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.

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