Orbiting
Oxford’s description of “orbiting” in their 2018 Word of the Year shortlist.
In 2018, I experienced a newfound frustration in modern dating: Someone stopped replying to my messages, but consistently checked my Instagram stories.
While the term “ghosting” is relatively new, the concept is old as time: getting stood up, or not getting a call back. This, though, was different. This person kept up with my life—remained in my orbit, so to speak—all without speaking to me. These actions could only exist in the age of social media apps. Through friend chats, I discovered other people dealt with this issue as well.
I pitched a trend piece to Man Repeller and coined this phenomenon as “orbiting.” The concept took off, garnering attention from publications such as The New York Times and The Cut. At the end of the year, Oxford shortlisted “orbiting” as their Word of the Year.