# ghosting

Ending or abandoning an ongoing connection by stopping communication without an explanation.

Canonical URL: https://slanglane.com/terms/ghosting
Release: daily-2026-10-19
Checked: 2026-10-19T00:00:00.000Z
Register: Informal · relationships and contact
Language: general
Review: editorial

## Meaning

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.

## Original examples

> We had been arranging a second meeting, then all replies stopped. I think I got ghosted.

In plain English: An ongoing exchange ended without explanation.

Context: The speaker identifies a pattern while leaving room for uncertainty.

> The recruiter ghosted me after promising an update.

In plain English: The recruiter stopped responding despite an expected follow-up.

Context: The term extends beyond dating.

## When it fits

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.

## Mind the context

Avoid labeling a short response delay as ghosting or treating the word as a reason someone must maintain unwanted contact.

## Important differences

### a late reply

A late reply is a delay. Ghosting suggests an apparent unexplained end to the connection, not every period of silence.

## Backstory

The metaphor turns disappearing like a ghost into a description of communication. Wiktionary documents relationship uses alongside older, unrelated technical meanings.

## Questions

### 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

- [ghosting — English entry](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/ghosting#English) — Wiktionary contributors. Checked 2026-10-19T00:00:00.000Z. Supports: meaning; usage.

Source texts retain their original licenses. Definitions and factual notes are research-informed; examples and usage advice are original SlangLane writing.