B次元官网网址淕aslightingB次元官网网址� B次元官网网址� behavior thatB次元官网网址檚 mind manipulating, grossly misleading, downright deceitful B次元官网网址� is

Lookups for the word on merriam-webster.com increased 1,740% in 2022 over the year before. But something else happened. There wasnB次元官网网址檛 a single event that drove significant spikes in curiosity, as it usually goes with the chosen word of the year.

The gaslighting was pervasive.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 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,B次元官网网址� said Peter Sokolowski, Merriam-WebsterB次元官网网址檚 editor at large, in an exclusive interview with The Associated Press ahead of MondayB次元官网网址檚 unveiling.

B次元官网网址淚t was a word looked up frequently every single day of the year,B次元官网网址� he said.

There were and the There were and And there was a whole lot of

Merriam-WebsterB次元官网网址檚 top definition for gaslighting is the psychological manipulation of a person, usually over an extended period of time, that B次元官网网址渃auses 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 oneB次元官网网址檚 emotional or mental stability, and a dependency on the perpetrator.B次元官网网址�

More broadly, the dictionary defines the word thusly: B次元官网网址淭he act or practice of grossly misleading someone especially for oneB次元官网网址檚 own advantage.B次元官网网址�

Gaslighting is a heinous tool frequently used by abusers in relationships B次元官网网址� It can happen between romantic partners, within a broader family unit and among friends. It can be a corporate tactic, or a way to mislead the public. ThereB次元官网网址檚 also B次元官网网址渕edical gaslighting,B次元官网网址� when a health care professional dismisses a patientB次元官网网址檚 symptoms or illness as B次元官网网址渁ll in your head.B次元官网网址�

Despite its relatively recent prominence B次元官网网址� including featuring the rousingly angry titular single B次元官网网址� the word was brought to life more than 80 years ago with B次元官网网址淕as Light,B次元官网网址� a 1938 play by Patrick Hamilton.

It birthed two film adaptations in the 1940s. One, George CukorB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淕aslightB次元官网网址� in 1944, starred 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 townhouseB次元官网网址檚 gaslights is a figment of her troubled mind. It wasnB次元官网网址檛.

The in October drove some interest in lookups of the word, Sokolowski said. She played Nancy Oliver, a young maid hired by Gregory and told not to bother his B次元官网网址渉igh-strungB次元官网网址� wife.

The term gaslighting was later used by mental health practitioners to clinically describe a form of prolonged coercive control in abusive relationships.

B次元官网网址淭here is this implication of an intentional deception,B次元官网网址� Sokolowski said. B次元官网网址淎nd once one is aware of that deception, itB次元官网网址檚 not just a straightforward lie, as in, you know, I didnB次元官网网址檛 eat the cookies in the cookie jar. ItB次元官网网址檚 something that has a little bit more devious quality to it. It has possibly an idea of strategy or a long-term plan.B次元官网网址�

Merriam-Webster, which logs 100 million pageviews a month chooses its word of the year based solely on data. Sokolowski and his team weed out evergreen words most commonly looked up to gauge which word received a significant bump over the year before.

They donB次元官网网址檛 slice and dice why people look up words, which can be anything from quick spelling and definition checks to some sort of attempt at inspiration or motivation. Some of the droves who looked up B次元官网网址済aslightingB次元官网网址� this year might have wanted to know, simply, if itB次元官网网址檚 one or two words, or whether itB次元官网网址檚 hyphenated.

B次元官网网址淕aslighting,B次元官网网址� 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 yearB次元官网网址檚 Rounding out this yearB次元官网网址檚 Top 10 are:

B次元官网网址� driven by RussiaB次元官网网址檚 invasion of Ukraine.

B次元官网网址� the persistent COVID-19 variant and the 15th letter of the Greek alphabet.

B次元官网网址� as in turning abortion rights into federal law.

B次元官网网址� what King CharlesB次元官网网址� wife, Camilla is newly known as.

B次元官网网址� as in the search of former President Donald TrumpB次元官网网址檚 Mar-a-Lago home.

B次元官网网址� with lookups brought on by Google canning the engineer who claimed an unreleased AI system had become sentient.

B次元官网网址� enough said.

B次元官网网址� for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, and asexual, aromantic or agender.

B次元官网网址� which many Wordle users tried back in August, though the right word that day was B次元官网网址渃lown.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址擫eanne Italie, The Associated Press