"Gaslighting" has been named word of the year for 2022 by Merriam-Webster. The word was selected by the dictionary after analysis showed searches for the word on merriam-webster.com increased 1,740% in 2022.
Searches for the word, which refers to a form of psychological coercion, were pervasive all year long, according to Merriam-Webster editor-at-large Peter Sokolowski. Typically there is a single event that triggers searches for what turns out to be the word of the year, but that was not the case this time.
“It’s a word that has risen so quickly in the English language, and especially in the last four years, that it actually came as a surprise to me and to many of us,” Mr Sokolowski said. “It was a word looked up frequently every single day of the year."
Merriam-Webster chooses its word of the year based solely on data. Mr Sokolowski and his team weed out evergreen words most commonly looked up to gauge which word received a significant bump over the year before.
Merriam-Webster’s top definition for “gaslighting” is the psychological manipulation of a person, usually over an extended period of time, that “causes the victim to question the validity of their own thoughts, perception of reality, or memories and typically leads to confusion, loss of confidence and self-esteem, uncertainty of one’s emotional or mental stability, and a dependency on the perpetrator”. It is frequently used by abusers in relationships, but can also be employed by politicians and other newsmakers.
It can happen between romantic partners, within a broader family unit and among friends. It can also be a corporate tactic, or a way to mislead the public.
“There is this implication of an intentional deception,” Mr Sokolowski said. “And once one is aware of that deception, it’s not just a straightforward lie, as in, you know, ‘I didn’t eat the cookies in the cookie jar’.
"It’s something that has a little bit more devious quality to it. It has possibly an idea of strategy or a long-term plan."
Despite its relatively recent prominence, the word was brought to life more than 80 years ago with Gas Light, a 1938 play by Patrick Hamilton. It birthed two film adaptations in the 1940s, including one starring Ingrid Bergman as Paula Alquist and Charles Boyer as Gregory Anton.
The two marry after a whirlwind romance and Gregory turns out to be a champion “gaslighter”. Among other instances, he insists her complaints over the constant dimming of their London townhouse’s gaslights is a figment of her troubled mind. It was not.
The death of Angela Lansbury in October drove some interest in lookups of the word, Mr Sokolowski said. She played Nancy Oliver, a young maid hired by Gregory and told not to bother his “high-strung” wife.
“Gaslighting”, Mr Sokolowski said, spent all of 2022 in the top 50 words looked up on merriam-webster.com to earn top dog word of the year status. Last year’s pick was “vaccine”.
