ghosting

Ghosting means suddenly cutting off all contact with someone, with no explanation. One day you are talking; the next, they stop replying to messages, ignore calls and vanish, like a ghost.

What does ghosting mean?

Ghosting is most often talked about in dating: after a few dates or weeks of texting, one person just disappears instead of saying they are not interested. But it happens everywhere. Friends ghost each other, job candidates ghost employers, and employers ghost candidates after interviews.

The verb is “to ghost”: “he ghosted me,” “I got ghosted.”

How to use it

• “We went on three dates and then he ghosted me.”
• “I applied, did two interviews, and the company ghosted me.”
• “She didn’t ghost him, she told him it wasn’t working. That’s the decent way.”
• “Is it ghosting if we only matched yesterday?”

Why people ghost

Usually it is to avoid an awkward or uncomfortable conversation. Dating apps make it easier, since there are no mutual friends and plenty of other matches. For the person ghosted, though, the silence can be more confusing and hurtful than a clear “no.”

Ghosting variations

• orbiting: ghosting someone, but still watching and liking their posts
• breadcrumbing: not quite ghosting, just sending occasional crumbs of attention
• benching: keeping someone around as a backup

Related terms

• situationship: a relationship with no label
• red flag: a warning sign
• catfish: someone using a fake identity online
• dry texter: someone whose replies are short and flat
• love bombing: overwhelming someone with affection to control them

See more terms like this in our dating slang dictionary.