- It’s used often in the context of someone you’ve been texting/seeing casually, as this is the most common relationship in which someone might “ghost.” The term came about metaphorically, because someone who does the action of “ghosting” metaphorically disappears from someone else’s life, like an actual ghost would literally disappear (with literally being used loosely here, as ghosts aren’t actually real). It was likely coined because this is a new occurrence due largely in part to dating apps such as Tinder/Bumble and just texting in general; it’s a lot easier nowadays to get to know someone via social media and then decide to stop talking to them without an explanation, since you have screens in between you and the other person to protect you.
Ghost (3)
verb; zero derivation
To stop replying to someone immediately and without warning, such that you basically disappear from their life without a trace
Etymology : Zero derivation from ghost (noun) → ghost (verb).
Source : “I’ve been ghosted a couple times” —my friend, talking about her experiences on Tinder on 10/24/17
Last modified: 29 November 2017