Past tense of ghost; suddenly cut off all communication with someone without explanation, especially in a romantic relationship.
From 'ghost' (Old English gast, spirit) + '-ed' suffix. The modern social meaning emerged in early 2000s internet culture, metaphorically treating the abandoned person as if their communication partner had become a ghost.
This word shows how rapidly internet culture creates new meanings for old words—'ghosting' didn't exist as a dating term 25 years ago, but now it's so common that psychology researchers study its emotional effects. Language evolves fastest where people feel the strongest emotions.
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