ContextWord · Ages 12-30 · In use
gaslighting
Strictly, manipulating someone over time until they doubt their own memory or sense of reality. Teens often use it loosely for any lie or disagreement.
I never said that? Bro you're gaslighting me.
For parents and educators
Usually loose and joking. If your teen describes a partner or friend who keeps making them doubt what happened, that is worth a real conversation.
Where it came from
From the 1944 film Gaslight. Merriam-Webster's word of the year for 2022.
Also heard as
gaslight, gaslit, stop gaslighting me