What does "gaslight" mean?
A lamp which operates by burning piped illuminating gas (or town gas).
Gaslight
/ˈɡæslaɪt/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A lamp which operates by burning piped illuminating gas (or town gas).
- Grammar: gaslight is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: deceive, deception, gaslamp, lamp.
- Useful contrasts: affirm reality, candle, electric lamp.
- Usage evidence: Tom could have sworn that Mary was trying to gaslight him, but then again, these days he couldn't swear on anything.
How to use "gaslight"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "gaslight" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "gaslight" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "gaslight" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "gaslight" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "gaslight" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "deceive" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "gaslight", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A lamp which operates by burning piped illuminating gas (or town gas). countable, historical, uncountable
"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."
- 2 light yielded by the combustion of illuminating gas wordnet
- 3 The light produced by the burning gas in such a lamp. historical, uncountable
"A year since I strained my eyes very severely, and have never dared to use them much since by gaslight."
Verb
- 1 To manipulate someone such that they doubt their own memory, perceptions of reality, or sanity, typically for malevolent reasons. formal, historical, transitive
"Sylvia is a beautiful woman whose business-partner husband is "gaslighting" her. (That means he's trying to drive her crazy.)"
- 2 To deceive, trick, or lie to. broadly, historical, informal, proscribed, transitive
Antonyms
Example
"Tom could have sworn that Mary was trying to gaslight him, but then again, these days he couldn't swear on anything."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "gaslight"?
Common synonyms include: deceive, deception, gaslamp, lamp, light, light source.
How do you use "gaslight" in a sentence?
Tom could have sworn that Mary was trying to gaslight him, but then again, these days he couldn't swear on anything.
How do you pronounce "gaslight"?
Pronounced /ˈɡæslaɪt/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From gas (“flammable gaseous hydrocarbon or hydrocarbon mixture used as a fuel”) + light.
Etymology 2
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.