What it means
Manipulating someone into questioning their own memory, perception, or sanity. Named after the 1944 film Gaslight where a husband dims the house lights and then denies it to destabilise his wife. Went from psychology textbooks into everyday speech around the 2010s and now people drop it constantly, sometimes accurately and sometimes to describe anyone who disagrees with them.
Usage examples
"He told me I was being dramatic about the whole thing, but I have the texts right here. That is textbook gaslighting mate"
"He kept insisting the argument never happened, classic gaslighting."
"Telling her she's imagining things every time she complains is gaslighting, plain and simple."
"Nah, that wasn't a misunderstanding, he fully gaslit her for weeks and then acted shocked when she stopped trusting him."
"If you're hiding the receipts, denying what you said, and telling me I'm crazy, that's gaslighting, not banter."
Where it comes from
It comes straight from the 1944 film Gaslight. In it, a husband messes with the house lights and then denies anything changed, trying to make his wife doubt her own memory and sanity. The term later moved into psychology, then blew up in everyday English in the 2010s.
Other ways to say it
Editors of this term
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