gaslight someone

Meaning

To manipulate someone into doubting their own sanity, memory, or perception of reality. It often happens in toxic relationships where one person denies facts to make the other feel confused or unstable.

Examples

• Stop trying to gaslight me; I know exactly what you said yesterday.

  Stop trying to gaslight me; I know exactly what you said yesterday.

• She gaslit him into believing the accident was entirely his fault.

  She gaslit him into believing the accident was entirely his fault.

• He's trying to gaslight the whole team by pretending the meeting never happened.

  He's trying to gaslight the whole team by pretending the meeting never happened.

• I felt like I was being gaslit when my boss denied promising me a raise.

  I felt like I was being gaslit when my boss denied promising me a raise.

• It's hard to leave a relationship when your partner constantly gaslights you.

  It's hard to leave a relationship when your partner constantly gaslights you.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ He gaslighted me.

  ✓ He gaslit me.

  While 'gaslighted' is sometimes accepted, 'gaslit' is the much more common and natural past tense form in casual English.

• ✗ Don't gaslight to me.

  ✓ Don't gaslight me.

  'Gaslight' is a transitive verb, meaning it takes a direct object. You do not need the preposition 'to' after it.

Related Expressions

Practice

• I know I locked the door, so don't try to ___ me into thinking I forgot.

  💡 manipulate me into doubting my own memory

  Show answer

  gaslight

• He completely ___ her about his secret bank account, making her feel paranoid.

  💡 past tense of gaslight

  Show answer

  gaslit