Ghostlighting
Stop communicating with someone and pretend like you don't know him
Example
he hasn’t texted me in a week, but when i asked about it, he said nothing changed
wait, seriously?
yeah, he said i was “imagining things.”
that’s ghostlighting. you’re not crazy
When you are a victim of ghostlighting
Related Slang
| Ghosting | Leaving without saying goodbye |
| Gaslighting | Manipulating information to create doubt |
| Bye Felicia | Goodbye |
| Irish goodbye | Leaving without saying goodbye |
| Dutch leave | Leaving without saying goodbye |
| French exit | Leaving without saying goodbye |
| Solange | Crazy |
| Bye Felicia | Goodbye |
| Benching | Using a person as a backup date |
| Haunting | Following a romantic partner on social media after abruptly leaving them |
| Cloaking | Disappearing from a romantic interest |
| Minnesota goodbye | A drawn-out goodbye |
How well do you know your texting slang?
Ghostlighting is a slang term that combines ghosting and gaslighting. It refers to when someone gradually disappears or becomes distant, ignoring messages, canceling plans, or pulling back, and then denies anything changed when confronted. Instead of clearly ending the relationship or admitting they have checked out, the person insists they have been acting "normal," making the other person question their own perception.
Ghostlighting often happens in dating or fading friendships where someone wants to avoid direct conflict or an uncomfortable breakup conversation. While it may be driven by avoidance rather than intentional manipulation, it can still feel confusing and invalidating to the person on the receiving end. By minimizing or denying the obvious shift in behavior, the ghostlighter sidesteps accountability, sometimes creating more awkwardness and emotional fallout than a straightforward conversation would have.