Phubbing
What does Phubbing mean?
Phubbing is ignoring or snubbing the people you are with by looking at your phone instead of paying attention to them.
Phubbing used in a sentence
“He kept phubbing everyone at dinner, scrolling through highlights while his grandparents told stories.”
This example shows the term in context rather than treating the definition as a literal word-for-word substitution. Slang often depends on tone, audience, and the conversation around it.
How do you use Phubbing?
Phubbing applies to friends, family, classmates, and partners, and 'partner phubbing' is a common topic in relationship advice. It is a neutral-to-critical description of behavior rather than a joke, and researchers have studied it in connection with relationship satisfaction and attention.
Where did Phubbing come from?
The word blends 'phone' and 'snubbing.' It was coined in May 2012 for an Australian Macquarie Dictionary campaign run by the advertising agency McCann, which invited writers and lexicographers to name the habit. The campaign spread internationally and the word later entered major dictionaries.
Common variations of Phubbing
phubber
A person who phubs others.
partner phubbing
Phubbing directed at a romantic partner, sometimes shortened to 'pphubbing.'
Phubbing: frequently asked questions
Is phubbing a Gen Alpha word?
No. It dates to 2012, but it remains widely used because phone habits are still a common source of conflict.
Who invented the word phubbing?
It was created during a 2012 Macquarie Dictionary advertising campaign in Australia.