FOMO

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/ˈfoʊmoʊ/
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An informal acronym for the anxious feeling that worthwhile experiences, opportunities, or information are happening elsewhere without one being part of them.

Examples

  • His FOMO kept him checking the group chat late at night.
  • Investors rushed in because market FOMO was rising.
  • Limited-time offers are designed to trigger FOMO.
  • Deleting the app helped reduce her social media FOMO.
  • She felt FOMO after seeing photos from the concert.

Similar words

social anxiety
envy
unease
fear of missing out
missing-out anxiety
apprehension

Meanings

Usage

Use FOMO for anxiety about being left out of experiences or opportunities, especially in social media, marketing, investing, gaming, and crowded social calendars.

Common mistakes

FOMOed treats the acronym as a verb, but the ordinary noun phrasing is felt FOMO, had FOMO, or experienced FOMO.

Etymology

Formed from the initial letters of fear of missing out. The phrase is older, while the acronym is first recorded around 2004 and is associated with Patrick J. McGinnis's Harvard Business School article on social choice and overload.

FAQ

What does FOMO stand for?

FOMO stands for fear of missing out.

How is FOMO pronounced?

FOMO is usually said as a word, /ˈfoʊmoʊ/, not spelled out letter by letter.

Is FOMO formal?

FOMO is informal in ordinary writing, though the fuller phrase fear of missing out and the variant FoMO appear in psychological research.

Can FOMO be used as a verb?

FOMO is normally a noun, so felt FOMO or had FOMO is clearer than FOMOed.

Where is FOMO common?

FOMO is common in talk about social media, events, marketing, investing, gaming, and any setting where people worry about missing a better option.

What is the opposite of FOMO?

The common playful opposite is JOMO, short for joy of missing out.

When did FOMO become common?

The acronym is first recorded around 2004 and became widely familiar during the growth of social media in the 2010s.

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