Dictionary

gaslight en · NOUN · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• (Received-Pronunciation) audio
• (General-American) audio
• /ˈɡæslaɪt/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈɡæsˌlaɪt/ (General-American)

Etymology

From gas (“flammable gaseous hydrocarbon or hydrocarbon mixture used as a fuel”) + light.

Meanings

1. (countable, historical, uncountable) A lamp which operates by burning piped illuminating gas (or town gas).
   • Open the windows once in awhile^([sic]) and give the air a chance to circulate in and out. In the evening, do not forget that the lamps and gaslights are using up a goodly supply of oxygen also—so freshen things up a little, once in awhile. 1904, Yogi Ramacharaka [pseudonym; William Walker Atkinson], “Fresh Air”, in Hatha Yoga: Or The Yogi Philosophy of Physical Well-being […], Chicago, Ill.: Yogi Publication Society […], →OCLC, page 222:
   • He was renovated and refreshed, his soul was strengthened, and his countenance waxed cheerful, and he began to feel like himself again, under the brown canopy of metropolitan smoke, and among the cabs and gaslights. [1871], J[oseph] Sheridan Le Fanu, “Captain Lake Looks in at Nightfall”, in Wylder’s Hand: […] (Select Library of Fiction; 178), new edition, London: Chapman and Hall, […], →OCLC, page 118:
2. (historical, uncountable) The light produced by the burning gas in such a lamp.
   • A year since I strained my eyes very severely, and have never dared to use them much since by gaslight. 1887, Horatio Alger, Jr., “An Unexpected Engagement”, in Frank Fowler, the Cash Boy (The Alger Series for Boys), New York, N.Y.: A[lbert] L[evi] Burt, →OCLC, page 86:
   • Then as the darkness descended, they began to shine with the mellow radiance of gaslight. 1953 April, Henry Maxwell, “Abandoned Railway Stations”, in Railway Magazine, page 270:

Forms

Deriveds

gaslight romance

Hypernyms

lamp · light

Relateds

gas-lighting · gas lighting · gas lighter · gas mantle · gas-lighter · gaslighting · gaslighter · gaslit

Synonyms

gas lamp

Translations (50)

da gaslys (lamp which burns piped illuminating gas) · es luz gaseiforme (light produced by burning gas) · ja ガス灯 (lamp which burns piped illuminating gas) · pt luz/iluminação a gás (light produced by burning gas) · is gaslampi (lamp which burns piped illuminating gas) · cs plynová lampa (lamp which burns piped illuminating gas) · nb gasslampe (lamp which burns piped illuminating gas) · pt lampião (lamp which burns piped illuminating gas) · de Gaslicht (light produced by burning gas) · fi kaasulamppu (lamp which burns piped illuminating gas) · sh plinska svetiljka (lamp which burns piped illuminating gas) · ja ガスランプ (lamp which burns piped illuminating gas) · is gasljós (light produced by burning gas) · ko 가스등 (lamp which burns piped illuminating gas) · es lámpara a gas (lamp which burns piped illuminating gas) · el ανθρακαέριο (lamp which burns piped illuminating gas) · tl lasigi (lamp which burns piped illuminating gas) · da gaslys (light produced by burning gas) · hu gázlámpa (lamp which burns piped illuminating gas) · cmn 煤氣燈 /煤气灯 (lamp which burns piped illuminating gas) · sh plinska lampa (lamp which burns piped illuminating gas) · tr gaz lambası (lamp which burns piped illuminating gas) · ko 가스램프 (lamp which burns piped illuminating gas) · cmn 自來火 /自来火 (lamp which burns piped illuminating gas) · ka გაზის განათებაა (light produced by burning gas) · da gaslygte (lamp which burns piped illuminating gas) · fi kaasuvalo (light produced by burning gas) · ar مِصْبَاح غَاز (lamp which burns piped illuminating gas) · ga solas gáis (light produced by burning gas) · ru га́зовое освеще́ние (light produced by burning gas) · ga gáslampa (lamp which burns piped illuminating gas) · ru га́зовая ла́мпа (lamp which burns piped illuminating gas) · sh plinsko svetlo (light produced by burning gas) · sh plinska svjetiljka (lamp which burns piped illuminating gas) · pt lâmpada a gás (lamp which burns piped illuminating gas) · ka გაზის ნათურა (lamp which burns piped illuminating gas) · da gaslampe (lamp which burns piped illuminating gas) · fr bec de gaz (lamp which burns piped illuminating gas) · nn gasslampe (lamp which burns piped illuminating gas) · el λάμπα αερίου (lamp which burns piped illuminating gas) · pl oświetlenie gazowe (light produced by burning gas) · tl gasera (lamp which burns piped illuminating gas) · es luz a gas (light produced by burning gas) · sh plinsko svjetlo (light produced by burning gas) · ko 가스등불 (light produced by burning gas) · el αεριόφως (lamp which burns piped illuminating gas) · de Gaslampe (lamp which burns piped illuminating gas) · cmn 煤氣燈光 /煤气灯光 (light produced by burning gas) · pl lampa gazowa (lamp which burns piped illuminating gas) · el αεριόφως (light produced by burning gas)

gaslight en · VERB · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• (Received-Pronunciation) audio
• (General-American) audio
• /ˈɡæslaɪt/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈɡæsˌlaɪt/ (General-American)

Etymology

From the 1938 stage play Gas Light by the English playwright and novelist Patrick Hamilton (1904–1962), and its 1940 and 1944 film adaptations, in which a husband attempts to convince his wife and others that she is insane by manipulating small elements of their environment. For more details, see also Gaslighting § Etymology on Wikipedia.

Meanings

1. (formal, historical, qualifier:strictly; prescriptive; strictly; prescriptive, transitive) To manipulate someone such that they doubt their own memory, perceptions of reality, or sanity, typically for malevolent reasons.
   • In fact, political scholars have written a great deal about Trump's gaslighting of the American people on various fronts. For example, Duca (2016) describes Trump's gaslighting as only beginning when he has initially lied or misled about issues—such as falsely claiming that the United States is the highest-taxed country in the world or that crime is on the rise. As Duca puts it: 'The gaslighting part comes in when the fictions are disputed by the media and Trump doubles down on his lies before painting himself as a victim […]' 2021 September 28, Alexander Brown, An Ethics of Political Communication, Routledge, →ISBN:
   • [The men of McHale's Navy] decide to "gaslight" the already befuddled captain, to convince him he is going insane. 1963, "TV Scout." Daily Press [Utica, NY]. November 18, 1963: 24 col 2, describing the plot of the episode "The August Teahouse of Quint McHale" of McHale's Navy
   • 1967, Stan Freberg (comedian), on his "most excruciating experience with a producer" as interviewed in Humphrey, Hal. "'Dramatic' Role Played By Freberg." The Oregonian [Portland, OR]. February 11, 1967: II 3 col 3. I came home before he could gaslight me like Boyer did Bergman in the movie.
   • Sylvia is a beautiful woman whose business-partner husband is "gaslighting" her. (That means he's trying to drive her crazy.) 1962, "The Journal Pre-Views Tonight's TV." Jersey Journal [Jersey City, NJ]. February 12, 1962: 12 col 6, describing the plot of the episode "Who Is Sylvia" of the television show Surfside 6
   • It brags “we can replace them”—and gaslights and demonizes those who notice and object to being replaced. 2023 July 21, Michael Anton, “The Pessimistic Case for the Future”, in Compact, archived from the original on 26 Mar 2024:
   • Just in the nick of time Rachel finds out the truth about her life from Martha. … This is how I wanted to show the gaslighting that had been going on Rachel's entire life. 2016, Tate Taylor (movie director), in the commentary version of The Girl on the Train (2016 film), discussing a train scene seventy-six minutes into the movie
   • "You're gaslighting me, for chrissakes." 1964, in an argument between the characters Jenny and Charley in William Goldman's novel Boys and Girls Together, page 564
2. (broadly, historical, informal, proscribed, transitive) To deceive, trick, or lie to.

Forms

Deriveds

gaslighting · gaslighter · gaslightee · gaslighty

Relateds

mindscrew · mind game · DARVO · Kafkatrap · deceive

Synonyms

head-game

Translations (33)

cs ulhat člověka k důvěře (to manipulate (someone) such that they question their own memory, perception, and sanity) · fi sumuttaa (to manipulate (someone) such that they question their own memory, perception, and sanity) · eo gaslampumi (to manipulate (someone) such that they question their own memory, perception, and sanity) · ja 心理操作する (to manipulate (someone) such that they question their own memory, perception, and sanity) · es huevear (to manipulate (someone) such that they question their own memory, perception, and sanity) · fi manipuloida luulemaan tulevansa hulluksi (to manipulate (someone) such that they question their own memory, perception, and sanity) · ja ガスライティングする (to manipulate (someone) such that they question their own memory, perception, and sanity) · la abūsō (to manipulate (someone) such that they question their own memory, perception, and sanity) · la mentiō (to manipulate (someone) such that they question their own memory, perception, and sanity) · ru газла́йтить (to manipulate (someone) such that they question their own memory, perception, and sanity) · de mit Psychotricks langsam irre machen (to manipulate (someone) such that they question their own memory, perception, and sanity) · es huevonear (to manipulate (someone) such that they question their own memory, perception, and sanity) · nl destabiliseren (to manipulate (someone) such that they question their own memory, perception, and sanity) · fr gaslight (to manipulate (someone) such that they question their own memory, perception, and sanity) · fr manipuler (to manipulate (someone) such that they question their own memory, perception, and sanity) · sh geslajtati (to manipulate (someone) such that they question their own memory, perception, and sanity) · es hacer(lo) creer que está loco (to manipulate (someone) such that they question their own memory, perception, and sanity) · hu gaslightingot alkalmaz (to manipulate (someone) such that they question their own memory, perception, and sanity) · hu gázlángol (to manipulate (someone) such that they question their own memory, perception, and sanity) · pt abusar (to manipulate (someone) such that they question their own memory, perception, and sanity) · fr gaslighter (to manipulate (someone) such that they question their own memory, perception, and sanity) · nl ontredderen (to manipulate (someone) such that they question their own memory, perception, and sanity) · ca abusar (to manipulate (someone) such that they question their own memory, perception, and sanity) · sh praviti ludim (to manipulate (someone) such that they question their own memory, perception, and sanity) · fi manipuloida luulemaan olevansa sekaisin (to manipulate (someone) such that they question their own memory, perception, and sanity) · da gaslighte (to manipulate (someone) such that they question their own memory, perception, and sanity) · cs dělat z někoho blbce (to manipulate (someone) such that they question their own memory, perception, and sanity) · fi kaasuvalottaa (to manipulate (someone) such that they question their own memory, perception, and sanity) · cs dolhat člověka k pravdě (to manipulate (someone) such that they question their own memory, perception, and sanity) · ca fer llum de gas (to manipulate (someone) such that they question their own memory, perception, and sanity) · ka გაგიჟებამდე მანიპულირება (to manipulate (someone) such that they question their own memory, perception, and sanity) · it manipolare (to manipulate (someone) such that they question their own memory, perception, and sanity) · es embocar (to manipulate (someone) such that they question their own memory, perception, and sanity)

wikipedia: Gaslighting#Etymology · wikipedia: Gas Light