fear of missing out
/fɪər əv ˈmɪsɪŋ aʊt/
Meaning
Often abbreviated as FOMO, this expression refers to the feeling of anxiety or worry that other people are having a good time or doing something exciting without you. It is extremely common in the age of social media, where we constantly see updates of our friends' fun activities.
Examples
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I only went to the party because of my fear of missing out, but I ended up having a great time.
I only went to the party because of my fear of missing out, but I ended up having a great time.
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Social media really feeds into our fear of missing out by showing everyone's best moments.
Social media really feeds into our fear of missing out by showing everyone's best moments.
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He bought the concert tickets out of a pure fear of missing out.
He bought the concert tickets out of a pure fear of missing out.
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Sometimes I have to turn off my phone to avoid the fear of missing out.
Sometimes I have to turn off my phone to avoid the fear of missing out.
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Her fear of missing out makes it hard for her to say no to any weekend plans.
Her fear of missing out makes it hard for her to say no to any weekend plans.
Common Mistakes
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✗ I have a fear to miss out.
✓ I have a fear of missing out.
The preposition 'of' must be followed by a gerund (-ing form), not an infinitive.
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✗ She felt fear of missing out of the party.
✓ She felt a fear of missing out on the party.
The phrasal verb is 'miss out on' something, so we say 'fear of missing out on [something]'.
Related Expressions
Practice
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I bought the expensive jacket because everyone else had one, mostly due to my ___.
💡 The anxiety of not being included in a trend or event.
Show answer
fear of missing out
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Deleting Instagram helped cure my constant ___.
💡 The feeling that others are living a more exciting life than you.
Show answer
fear of missing out