Merriam-Webster named 'gaslighting' as its word of the year for 2022, a term used to describe the 'worst form of abuse'.
Searches for the term went up a whopping 1,740% in 2022 compared to 2021 on the dictionary website, but what does it actually mean? Merriam-Webster defines it as psychological manipulation of a person usually over an extended period of time that causes 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 one's emotional or mental stability, and a dependency on the perpetrator.
The other definition on the site says: "the act or practice of grossly misleading someone especially for one's own advantage." The term originally comes from the title of the 1938 play and films based on it. The plot involves a man trying to convince his wife she is going insane, including insisting she is wrong about the gas light in their home dimming and that she is imagining it, even as it actually happens in front of her eyes.
