To ghost someone is to disappear without explanation: to suddenly stop answering their calls and messages and end the relationship that way. The practice itself is called ghosting. People use it about dating, friendships and even recruiters who vanish after an interview; the tone is informal, often hurt.
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ghost + person (he ghosted me); get ghosted; ghosting (noun)
- We went on three dates and then he just ghosted me, no explanation.
- I got ghosted by a recruiter after the final interview, can you believe it?
- Ghosting feels easier than saying no, but it's really unfair to the other person.
What changed
First versionDear Mr Collins, the supplier ghosted us after we sent the second invoice.
RevisionDear Mr Collins, the supplier stopped replying after we sent the second invoice.
A letter that opens with Dear Mr Collins is a business letter, while ghost is an informal word from the world of dating and texting. It's been replaced with the neutral stopped replying: the meaning is the same, the supplier stopped getting in touch.
Ghosting isn't a slow reply, it's the end of contact. If someone just hasn't answered for a while, say he hasn't replied yet; he ghosted me is for when they've disappeared for good. In an essay or IELTS Speaking, instead of ghost, say he stopped replying or she cut off all contact.
Your turn
We'd been texting every day for two months, then he stopped answering my calls and messages without a word. He ___ me.
Show the answer
ghosted — Two months of texting, then no calls, no messages and no explanation: that's ghosted. Catfished means someone pretended to be another person online, and the sentence is about a sudden disappearance, not a deception.
Text a friend about someone who suddenly disappeared from your life: an acquaintance, a friend or an employer. Use ghost or ghosted and say what happened right before they vanished.
Remember the gym instructor I was texting? He ghosted me right after I invited him to my birthday party.
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