gaslight

1 of 2

noun

gas·​light ˈgas-ˌlīt 

-ˈlīt

1

: light made by burning illuminating gas

2

a

: a gas flame

b

: a gas lighting fixture

gaslight

2 of 2

verb

gaslighted or gaslit ˈgas-ˌlit  ; gaslighting; gaslights

transitive verb

1

: to psychologically manipulate (a person) usually over an extended period of time so that the victim questions the validity of their own thoughts, perception of reality, or memories and experiences confusion, loss of confidence and self-esteem, and doubts concerning their own emotional or mental stability : to subject (someone) to gaslighting

You might think someone who is gaslighting you would only lie about big things that they could cover up or hide. But that's not the case. They often lie about all things big and small just to throw you off.

—Amy Morin

But sexual abuse claims against the powerful stall more easily. There were experts willing to attack my credibility. There were doctors willing to gaslight an abused child.

—Dylan Farrow

Taylor-Dior Rumble is a writer and actor, and she has direct experience with being racially gaslit. … 'While we often look at gaslighting as something that's done between two people in an intimate relationship, it's no different to how this country responds to Black and brown people, whenever we're tasked with "proving" that racism still exists in Britain.'

—Natalie Morris

2

: to grossly mislead or deceive (someone) especially for one's own advantage

Conservative groups are slamming President Biden and his administration for attempting to "gaslight" Americans into believing that the country isn't in a recession.

—Jack Durschlag

Former White House press secretary and communications director Sean Spicer has been accused of "gaslighting Americans" and including multiple inaccuracies in his new memoir …

—Diana Stancy Correll

Did you know?

The Origin and Semantic Development of Gaslighting

The origins of gaslighting are colorful: the term comes from the title of a 1938 play and the movies based on that play, the plots of which involve a man attempting to make his wife believe that she is going insane. His mysterious activities in the attic cause the house’s gas lights to dim, but he insists to his wife that the lights are not dimming and that she can’t trust her own perceptions.

When gaslighting was first used in the mid-20th century, it referred to a kind of deception like that in the plots mentioned above (sense 1). In the current century, the word has come to refer also to something simpler and broader: “the act or practice of grossly misleading someone, especially for a personal advantage” (sense 2).

In this use, the word is at home with other terms relating to modern forms of deception and manipulation, such as fake news and deepfake.

The idea of a deliberate conspiracy to mislead has made gaslighting useful in describing lies that are part of a larger plan. Unlike lying, which tends to be between individuals, and fraud, which tends to involve organizations, gaslighting applies in both personal and political contexts, and is found in formal and technical writing as well as in colloquial use.

Its increasing use in many contexts contributed to making gaslighting Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Year for 2022.

Examples of gaslight in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

At night, when the semaphore arms weren’t visible, red and green gaslights signaled stop and go. —Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Dec. 2024

Deep shadows and low gaslights create a mysterious atmosphere which, alongside the characters’ black trench coats and low-brimmed hats, turn this historical piece into a thrilling neo-noir. —Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 16 Sep. 2024

Verb

Joe Biden’s feeble debate performance pulled back the curtain on the administration’s efforts to gaslight voters about the president’s advanced age and declining mental acuity. —Editorial, Boston Herald, 6 July 2024

And yet, the Democrats want to gaslight us into voting for an unqualified candidate in Kamala Harris. —Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 25 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

after Gas Light, a play (1938) by British writer Patrick Hamilton, subsequently made into British and American films entitled Gaslight (1940 and 1944), in which a man attempts to trick his wife into believing that she is going insane

First Known Use

Noun

1808, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1953, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

gaslight

1 of 2 noun

gas·​light ˈgas-ˌlīt 

-ˈlīt

1

: light made by burning gas

2

a

: a gas flame

b

: a gas lighting fixture

gaslight

2 of 2 verb

gaslighted or gaslit

-ˌlit,

-ˈlit

; gaslighting

1

: to psychologically manipulate (someone) usually over time so that the victim experiences doubts about their own emotional or mental stability

2

: to badly mislead or deceive (someone) especially for one's own advantage

gaslighting noun