ENGLISH
REFERENCE

orbiting

v.
C1 Advanced US //ˈɔɹbətɪŋ// UK //ˈɔːbɪtɪŋ// or·bit·ing Slang

v. staying connected to an ex-partner on social media by watching their stories or liking posts without actually talking to them. It is like being a satellite that stays close but never lands.

v. maintaining a passive presence in a former romantic partner's digital life by consuming their social media content without direct engagement. Often implies a refusal to fully disconnect after a relationship ends.


SIMPLE

He is still orbiting my Instagram stories every day.

CONTEXTUAL

Even though they broke up months ago, she noticed he was still orbiting her by liking every photo she posted.

COMPLEX

Digital stalking has evolved into more subtle forms like orbiting, where one party maintains a persistent but silent presence in the other's peripheral social media feed, preventing a clean emotional break.

Synonyms
Usage

Typically used in the present continuous form to describe an ongoing social media behavior.

Pitfall

He is orbiting to meHe is orbiting meIn this slang sense, the verb is transitive and takes a direct object without a preposition.

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