What does Ghosting mean?
Ghosting means ending contact with someone by silently disappearing rather than saying so.
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Slang. Also written ghosted, ghost.
Where it comes from
Emerged in online dating vocabulary around 2015 and spread quickly because the behaviour it names is native to messaging: leaving is now something you can do without any conversation at all. It has since expanded well past dating into friendships, hiring and client work.
How it is actually used
Now standard English rather than slang, and the most common non-dating use is professional — candidates ghosting interviews, recruiters ghosting applicants, clients ghosting invoices. It implies a relationship that had momentum; ignoring a cold outreach message is not ghosting. "Soft ghosting" is a related coinage for replying with a reaction emoji and nothing more.
Examples
- "got ghosted after the second interview"
- "sorry for ghosting, work has been brutal"
- "the client ghosted us mid-project"
Can a brand use it? Safe for brands
Fully mainstream and safe. It is genuinely useful for B2B accounts because it names a shared professional frustration without sounding like slang.
Related terms
Frequently Asked Questions
What does ghosting mean?
Cutting off contact with someone abruptly and without explanation, then not responding to attempts to reach you.
Is ghosting only about dating?
No. It started there but is now used just as often about jobs, friendships and client relationships.
What is soft ghosting?
Responding in a way that ends the conversation without actually replying — liking a message or leaving a reaction emoji instead of answering it.
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