gaslighter
gaslighter Lexical Profile
gaslighter Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A person who manipulates someone through psychological deception into questioning their own memory, perception of reality, or sanity.
"The counselor helped her recognize the subtle tactics of a gaslighter who continually denied events she had witnessed firsthand."
Historically, a worker employed to ignite and maintain gas-powered streetlamps or theatrical stage lighting.
"At dusk in Victorian London, the local gaslighter walked along the cobblestone streets to illuminate each lamp post."
Word Origin & Etymology
The psychological sense derives from the 1938 British play 'Gas Light' by Patrick Hamilton (and its 1940 and 1944 film adaptations), in which an abusive husband manipulates the household gas lamps and insists his wife is imagining the dimming light in order to make her doubt her sanity.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.