gaslighting: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
HighFormal, Academic, Clinical, Journalistic, Informal (due to widespread popular use)
Quick answer
What does “gaslighting” mean?
A form of psychological manipulation in which a person or group covertly sows seeds of doubt in a targeted individual or group, making them question their own memory, perception, or judgment, often evoking in them cognitive dissonance and other changes, including low self-esteem.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A form of psychological manipulation in which a person or group covertly sows seeds of doubt in a targeted individual or group, making them question their own memory, perception, or judgment, often evoking in them cognitive dissonance and other changes, including low self-esteem.
The term has extended beyond clinical psychology to describe any persistent attempt to manipulate someone into doubting their own sanity or reality, commonly in personal relationships, politics, media, and workplace dynamics. It implies a deliberate, repeated pattern of deception and distortion.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning. The term originated from a British play, but its contemporary psychological usage is equally prevalent in both varieties.
Connotations
In both varieties, it carries strong negative connotations of abuse and manipulation. In popular discourse, it is sometimes used more loosely to describe any denial of facts or persistent contradiction.
Frequency
Extremely high frequency in both varieties, especially in media, psychology, and social commentary contexts since the 2010s.
Grammar
How to Use “gaslighting” in a Sentence
[Subject] is gaslighting [Object][Object] is/are being gaslighted/gaslit by [Subject]to engage in gaslightingto be a victim of gaslightingVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “gaslighting” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- He spent years gaslighting his colleagues about the project's timeline.
- The article explains how authoritarian regimes gaslight the public.
American English
- She realized her partner was gaslighting her about their finances.
- Politicians are often accused of gaslighting voters during campaigns.
adverb
British English
- He acted gaslightingly by constantly contradicting her documented notes.
- (Rare usage, often paraphrased)
American English
- She responded gaslightingly, dismissing his clearly remembered experience.
- (Rare usage, often paraphrased)
adjective
British English
- His gaslighting tactics were finally exposed in court.
- The film is a study of gaslighting behaviour in a marriage.
American English
- She escaped a gaslighting relationship.
- The book details gaslighting techniques used in cults.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Refers to manipulative management tactics where leaders deny previous statements or distort facts to discredit employees' concerns.
Academic
Used in psychology, sociology, and gender studies to describe a specific pattern of abusive interpersonal control.
Everyday
Commonly used to describe manipulative behaviour in personal relationships, family dynamics, or by public figures.
Technical
In clinical psychology, a form of emotional abuse and a tactic of coercive control, often associated with narcissistic personality disorder.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “gaslighting”
Strong
Neutral
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “gaslighting”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “gaslighting”
- Using 'gaslighting' for simple lying or disagreement (it requires a sustained pattern to undermine sanity).
- Misspelling as 'gas lighting'.
- Using the past tense incorrectly ('gaslighted' is common but 'gaslit' is also accepted).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Both are used. 'Gaslighted' is more common in general use, while 'gaslit' is often preferred in formal and psychological writing, following the pattern of 'light/lit'.
In strict clinical and popular definition, gaslighting implies deliberate manipulation. However, some argue that certain behaviours can have a 'gaslighting effect' even without malicious intent, though the term is most accurately applied to intentional acts.
Lying is a single act of deception. Gaslighting is a sustained campaign of manipulation that uses lies, denial, and contradiction specifically to make the victim doubt their own grasp on reality, memory, or sanity, thereby increasing the perpetrator's control.
It originates from Patrick Hamilton's 1938 play 'Gas Light' (titled 'Angel Street' in the US) and its film adaptations. In the story, a husband secretly dims the gas lights in the house and then insists to his wife that the lights are not flickering, as part of a scheme to convince her she is going insane.
A form of psychological manipulation in which a person or group covertly sows seeds of doubt in a targeted individual or group, making them question their own memory, perception, or judgment, often evoking in them cognitive dissonance and other changes, including low self-esteem.
Gaslighting is usually formal, academic, clinical, journalistic, informal (due to widespread popular use) in register.
Gaslighting: in British English it is pronounced /ˈɡæslaɪtɪŋ/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈɡæslaɪtɪŋ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “To gaslight someone”
- “A gaslighting campaign”
- “To turn on the gaslight (archaic/in reference to original source)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of the old gas lights in the play: the husband dims the lights but insists they are as bright as ever, making his wife doubt her own eyes. 'Gas' = something invisible that distorts the atmosphere; 'lighting' = how you see things. Gaslighting distorts how you see reality.
Conceptual Metaphor
REALITY IS LIGHT / SANITY IS A CLEAR VIEW. Gaslighting is metaphorically dimming or manipulating that light to obscure someone's view of reality.
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following best describes the core element of gaslighting?