NEW YORK (AP) 害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淕aslighting害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所� behavior that害羞草研究所檚 mind manipulating, grossly misleading, downright deceitful 害羞草研究所� is Merriam-Webster害羞草研究所檚 word of the year.

Lookups for the word on merriam-webster.com increased 1,740% in 2022 over the year before. But something else happened. There wasn害羞草研究所檛 a single event that drove significant spikes in curiosity, as it usually goes with the chosen word of the year.

The gaslighting was pervasive.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 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,害羞草研究所� said Peter Sokolowski, Merriam-Webster害羞草研究所檚 editor at large, in an exclusive interview with The Associated Press ahead of Monday害羞草研究所檚 unveiling.

害羞草研究所淚t was a word looked up frequently every single day of the year,害羞草研究所� he said.

There were deepfakes and the dark web. There were deep states and fake news. And there was a whole lot of trolling.

Merriam-Webster害羞草研究所檚 top definition for gaslighting is the psychological manipulation of a person, usually over an extended period of time, that 害羞草研究所渃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 one害羞草研究所檚 emotional or mental stability, and a dependency on the perpetrator.害羞草研究所�

More broadly, the dictionary defines the word thusly: 害羞草研究所淭he act or practice of grossly misleading someone especially for one害羞草研究所檚 own advantage.害羞草研究所�

Gaslighting is a heinous tool frequently used by abusers in relationships 害羞草研究所� and by politicians and other newsmakers. 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. There害羞草研究所檚 also 害羞草研究所渕edical gaslighting,害羞草研究所� when a health care professional dismisses a patient害羞草研究所檚 symptoms or illness as 害羞草研究所渁ll in your head.害羞草研究所�

Despite its relatively recent prominence 害羞草研究所� including 害羞草研究所淕aslighter,害羞草研究所� The Chicks害羞草研究所� 2020 album featuring the rousingly angry titular single 害羞草研究所� the word was brought to life more than 80 years ago with 害羞草研究所淕as Light,害羞草研究所� a 1938 play by Patrick Hamilton.

It birthed two film adaptations in the 1940s. One, George Cukor害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所淕aslight害羞草研究所� 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 townhouse害羞草研究所檚 gaslights is a figment of her troubled mind. It wasn害羞草研究所檛.

The death of Angela Lansbury 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 害羞草研究所渉igh-strung害羞草研究所� wife.

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

害羞草研究所淭here is this implication of an intentional deception,害羞草研究所� Sokolowski said. 害羞草研究所淎nd once one is aware of that deception, it害羞草研究所檚 not just a straightforward lie, as in, you know, I didn害羞草研究所檛 eat the cookies in the cookie jar. It害羞草研究所檚 something that has a little bit more devious quality to it. It has possibly an idea of strategy or a long-term plan.害羞草研究所�

Merriam-Webster, which logs 100 million pageviews a month on its site, 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 don害羞草研究所檛 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 害羞草研究所済aslighting害羞草研究所� this year might have wanted to know, simply, if it害羞草研究所檚 one or two words, or whether it害羞草研究所檚 hyphenated.

害羞草研究所淕aslighting,害羞草研究所� 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 year害羞草研究所檚 pick was 害羞草研究所渧accine.害羞草研究所� Rounding out this year害羞草研究所檚 Top 10 are:

害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淥ligarch,害羞草研究所� driven by Russia害羞草研究所檚 invasion of Ukraine.

害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淥micron,害羞草研究所� the persistent COVID-19 variant and the 15th letter of the Greek alphabet.

害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淐odify,害羞草研究所� as in turning abortion rights into federal law.

害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淨ueen consort,害羞草研究所� what King Charles害羞草研究所� wife, Camilla is newly known as.

害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淩aid,害羞草研究所� as in the search of former President Donald Trump害羞草研究所檚 Mar-a-Lago home.

害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淪entient,害羞草研究所� with lookups brought on by Google canning the engineer who claimed an unreleased AI system had become sentient.

害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淐ancel culture,害羞草研究所� enough said.

害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淟GBTQIA,害羞草研究所� for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, and asexual, aromantic or agender.

害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淟oamy,害羞草研究所� which many Wordle users tried back in August, though the right word that day was 害羞草研究所渃lown.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所斺赌斺赌�

By Leanne Italie

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Like us on and follow us on .