ghosting
/ɡostinɡ/from spelling rules
The English term ghosting is used in Spanish.
In Spanish, the English loanword ghosting is used to refer to the phenomenon of suddenly stopping all contact with someone. You may also use the descriptive phrase Desaparecer sin dejar rastro to express the idea of disappearing without a trace.
Meaning: a way to break relationship (noun)
Did you know?
- While ghosting is common among youth, Spanish speakers also use the slang term hacer la ley del hielo, which means 'to apply the law of ice'.
- In certain Latin American contexts, if someone stops responding to messages, you might hear that they have 'aplicado el visto', referring to the 'seen' receipt on messaging apps like WhatsApp.
- Unlike ghosting, which is usually individual, hacer el vacío describes a collective effort where a group works together to isolate one person.
Examples in context
- Después de nuestra última cita, me ignoró completamente. Fue muy grosero.After our last date, he completely ignored me. It was very rude.
- Después de varias semanas de charlas constantes, de repente dejó de responder mis mensajes.After several weeks of constant chatting, they suddenly stopped responding to my messages.
- ¿Te acuerdas de Juan? Sí, desapareció sin dejar rastro después de nuestra última cita.Do you remember Juan? Yeah, he disappeared without a trace after our last date.
- Después de la segunda cita, me hizo el feo y dejó de hablarme por completo.After the second date, they snubbed me and completely stopped talking to me.
- El ghosting es una forma muy cruel de terminar una relación.Ghosting is a very cruel way to end a relationship.
- No me gusta el ghosting en las citas modernas.I don't like ghosting in modern dating.
- Ella sufrió mucho por culpa del ghosting de su ex.She suffered a lot because of her ex's ghosting.
Example conversation
Mateo and Lucía are discussing a recent bad dating experience.
- Mateo¿Por qué no te volvió a escribir?Why didn't he write back to you?
- LucíaCreo que fue víctima de ghosting.I think I was a victim of ghosting.
- MateoEso es muy común hoy en día.That is very common nowadays.
- LucíaSí, pero es muy decepcionante.Yes, but it is very disappointing.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
