Phubbing
/ˈfʌbɪŋ/noun
The act of ignoring someone in favor of a phone or other mobile device.
Did you know?Phubbing is a modern blend word, not an ancient curse, but it captures a very old human fear: being socially erased by a small object in your hand.
Etymological Timeline
2012
English
phubbing
“A blend of phone + snubbing, meaning ignoring someone by looking at a phone instead of them.”
2010s
English
phone snubbing
“The original phrase describing the behavior of giving attention to a phone while dismissing a person present.”
Late 19th Century
English
snub
“To rebuff, slight, or treat with contempt.”
17th Century
English
snub
“To check, reprimand, or abruptly cut short.”
Middle English
English
snubben
“To rebuke or snub; a likely source of the modern verb.”