Merriam-Webster has crowned one of social media’s favorite trigger words, “gaslighting.”
The dictionary company dubbed the term its 2022 Word of the Year, defining it as “the act or practice of grossly misleading someone, especially for one’s own advantage.” The word is usually applied to emotionally abusive situations, such as Black women not being believed when they raise concerns during their pregnancies. It is also heavily used in politics, as many accuse lawmakers of gaslighting residents who question their motives.
Though the term first originated from a 1938 film titled “Gaslight,” about a man trying to convince his wife that she is going crazy, it has been made popular across social media in recent years, especially on Twitter.
“Gaslighting” topped this year’s list, with searches for it increasing by 1,740 percent this year. While the word beat out other buzz terms, it had some stiff competition. “Codify,” “endemic,” “Omicron,” and “Queen Consort” were all vying for the top spot. Merriam-Webster chooses its yearly word based only on data and “gaslighting” spent the entire 2022 in the top 50 words looked up on the dictionary’s website.
Last year’s Word of the Year was “vaccine,” which is no surprise considering the rise in COVID-19 vaccinations. Searches were up 600% since 2020 and 1,048% from 2019. The vaccinations were the topic of heated debates, with many companies requiring employees to get the shots to return to work.
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