1
: a faint double image on a television screen or other display
also
: the formation of such images
Such displays tend to suffer from ghosting, which shows up as extraneous lines on screen. —
Consumer Reports
Consumer Reports 2
informal
: the act or practice of abruptly cutting off all contact with someone (such as a former romantic partner) usually without explanation by no longer accepting or responding to phone calls, instant messages, etc.
Romeo one minute, where'd he go the next? Ghosting is when you go poof and literally disappear out of someone's life without a word or explanation.—Samantha Burns
Samantha Burns"It's the fear of missing out on the thing, or person, that is coming next. … It may be a little mean, but we're dating; it's not like we're in a relationship," said one anonymous online dater in defense of ghosting.—Chelsea Frisbie
see also ghost entry 2 sense 3
Chelsea FrisbieExamples of ghosting in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Be prepared, rejection stings more when jobs are scarce, and employer ghosting is all too common.
—Jack Kelly, Forbes, 10 Mar. 2025
Some suggested that job ghosting is not necessarily malicious but rather a result of job application burnout.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 2 Mar. 2025
Swiping, ghosting, and endless conversations that rarely materialize into real-life dates have left people burned out and disillusioned.
—Skye Battles, WIRED, 14 Feb. 2025
The left edge hosts a SIM/expansion slot, volume buttons and a screen refresh button (to clear the image of any ghosting).
—New Atlas, 4 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ghosting
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Jack Kelly, Forbes, 10 Mar. 2025
Some suggested that job ghosting is not necessarily malicious but rather a result of job application burnout.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 2 Mar. 2025
Swiping, ghosting, and endless conversations that rarely materialize into real-life dates have left people burned out and disillusioned.
—Skye Battles, WIRED, 14 Feb. 2025
The left edge hosts a SIM/expansion slot, volume buttons and a screen refresh button (to clear the image of any ghosting).
—New Atlas, 4 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ghosting
Cite this Entry
“Ghosting.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ghosting. Accessed 17 Mar. 2025.
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