Merriam-Webster names 'gaslighting' as its word of 2022

Yes, it is amazing how terms change meaning. I agree with Aaron that words tend to broaden their meaning, probably becasue we love to exaggerate and be a bit dramatic. I know I use the word “traumatized” to describe my experience when I am expecting to enjoy a chocolate chip cookie and discover it is oatmeal raisin. I often describe this as a “heartbreak.” There is something fun about exaggerating.

My take is that the use of the word today is admittedly broader than the stage play (and movie), but in an age when politicians and other leaders will shamelessly lie to us, expecting us to simply believe what they’re saying, I think the use is often appropriate; the goal is not just to get away with a lie, but to undermine peoples’ sense of truth and morality. I don’t know how much worse it is than in times past, but it’s nasty.