Word
gaslight
US/ˈɡæsɫaɪt/
UK/ɡˈæslaɪt/
Definition
v. to make someone doubt their own memory or sanity by lying to them or changing facts. You do this to gain power over the other person and make them feel confused.
v. to manipulate someone by psychological means into questioning their own sanity or perception of reality. Typically involves persistent denial, misdirection, and contradiction to destabilize the victim's confidence.
Examples
“He tried to gaslight her by saying the argument never happened.”
“The manager attempted to gaslight the employees by claiming he had never promised them a bonus, despite the written emails.”
“In toxic relationships, one partner may gaslight the other to maintain control, eventually causing the victim to lose trust in their own cognitive faculties and sensory experiences.”
Examples
simple
“He tried to gaslight her by saying the argument never happened.”
contextual
“The manager attempted to gaslight the employees by claiming he had never promised them a bonus, despite the written emails.”
complex
“In toxic relationships, one partner may gaslight the other to maintain control, eventually causing the victim to lose trust in their own cognitive faculties and sensory experiences.”
Usage
The verb is transitive and takes a direct object. Derived from the 1938 play 'Gas Light'.
Pitfall
he gaslighted me about the truth
he gaslit me
While 'gaslighted' is technically acceptable, 'gaslit' is the more common past tense form used by native speakers.
Real-World Examples
“Many of us differ on what counts as gaslighting — the form of emotional abuse and manipulation in which one person attempts to bend the reality of another.” “Evidently, what she’d understood as “normal” sex had been something more aggressive. And her ex’s attempts to convince her otherwise—implying that she was crazy for having any problem with it—were a kind of controlling behavior so fundamental that she did not have a name for it. Now, six years later, as a social worker at a university, she calls it “gaslighting.” “It was through therapy that I understood that I had been "gaslighted" and that my perception of the world had shifted during those years of trying to do the impossible - to satisfy a narcissist.” “The reality of gaslighting is both serious and harmful, primarily focused on dominance and control, and anyone can fall victim to it.” Etymology
From gas (“flammable gaseous hydrocarbon or hydrocarbon mixture used as a fuel”) + light.
The verb derives from the 1938 stage play Gas Light by the English playwright and novelist Patrick Hamilton (1904–1962), and from its 1940 and 1944 film adaptations. The plot centres on a husband who manipulates small elements of the domestic environment to convince his wife and their acquaintances that she is insane.
The title supplied the verb. The derived noun gaslighting and its later history are set out in the Wikipedia article of the same name.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Synonyms
Antonyms
In Literature
Cover shown under fair use for identification and commentary.
Gas Light · 1938-01-01 · Thriller
- Author:
- Patrick Hamilton
Patrick Hamilton wrote this 1938 thriller play about a husband who dims the gas lamps and denies it, trying to drive his wife to doubt her own mind. The play gave English a new word: gaslight now names any attempt to make someone distrust their memory and sanity.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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