Zombieing - meaning and definition
Alsozombie-ingzombiedzombie ghosting
Definition
When someone who previously ghosted reappears and resumes contact as if nothing happened.
At a glance
- Someone who ghosted reappears as if nothing happened.
- The return often starts with a casual message like hey stranger.
- Also called haunting or submarining.
- It is fine to ask for an explanation or decline to re-engage.
In detail
Like a zombie rising from the dead, the returning person often sends a casual message such as "hey stranger" weeks or months after vanishing. Some people call this haunting or submarining.
Responses vary: some people welcome the return, while others feel it reopens old hurt. It is reasonable to ask for an explanation or to decline to re-engage.
In a sentence
- Six months of silence and then a hey stranger. Classic zombieing.
- I told the guy who zombied me that I'd need an apology before chatting again.
Where the word comes from
From the image of a zombie rising from the dead. It became dating slang in the late 2010s.
Common questions
Should I reply to someone who is zombieing me?
That is your choice. Some people welcome the return, others ask for an explanation, and many simply decide not to reply.