ghosting.
Ending or abandoning an ongoing connection by stopping communication without an explanation.
What does ghosting mean?
Ghosting describes disappearing from communication rather than explicitly ending the connection. It is common in dating language but also appears in friendships, recruiting, client work, and other relationships. The key idea is an unexplained cutoff after some expectation of continued contact.
A delayed reply is not automatically ghosting. People may be busy, unavailable, or dealing with something the sender cannot see. The term describes a pattern, not a reliable explanation of motive. It also does not mean anyone must continue contact where they feel unsafe; the vocabulary alone cannot settle every social situation.
See how it lands.
Original examples written for this entry, not quotations from the sources.
We had been arranging a second meeting, then all replies stopped. I think I got ghosted.
The recruiter ghosted me after promising an update.
The right word.
The right moment.
Use it when an ongoing interaction appears to have ended through unexplained silence. Describe what happened rather than claiming to know the other person’s intentions.
Avoid labeling a short response delay as ghosting or treating the word as a reason someone must maintain unwanted contact.
Not quite the same as…
a late reply
A late reply is a delay. Ghosting suggests an apparent unexplained end to the connection, not every period of silence.
A little backstory.
The metaphor turns disappearing like a ghost into a description of communication. Wiktionary documents relationship uses alongside older, unrelated technical meanings.
Supported by Wiktionary contributors
Still wondering?
Is ghosting only about dating?
No. People also use it for friendships, recruiting, and other ongoing interactions that stop without explanation.
How long until silence counts as ghosting?
There is no universal timer. The prior pattern, expectations, and circumstances matter.
Sources & checks
Meaning and factual notes are informed by the references below. Examples and usage advice are original editorial writing. A source documents use; it does not measure current popularity.
- ghosting — English entry ↗Wiktionary contributors · checked 19 Oct 2026Supports: meaning; usage