informal
: fear of missing out : fear of not being included in something (such as an interesting or enjoyable activity) that others are experiencing
If anyone in history should have died from FOMO, it would be Emily Dickinson, an agoraphobe who virtually never left her house …—
O. The Oprah Magazine
O. The Oprah MagazineIn 2018, I was in Rome for Thanksgiving—the first time I had been out of the country for a major holiday. My family never felt so far away, and all I wanted was to be home. This was dramatic, of course, brought on by end-of-semester stress and strong FOMO.—Gretchen Wright
compare jomo
Gretchen WrightExamples of FOMO in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Here's how to navigate your social life with migraine, from sharing potential triggers to dealing with FOMO.
—Cathy Cassata, Health, 10 June 2025
There’s, of course, a one-click way to buy the game your friend is showing off to capitalize on FOMO.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 5 June 2025
Research shows that people who reduce social media use report less loneliness and depression—and a whole lot less FOMO.
Go Outside
This one's simple: spend time in nature.
—Alex Backus, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 May 2025
Instead, most of the hype is based on corporate FOMO and a desire to keep up with rivals.
—Michael Barclay, Quartz, 19 May 2025
And lately she’s been hearing so many good ones from the younger generation of female singers and songwriters that she’s got serious FOMO.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 30 Apr. 2025
Cathie Wood's $1.5 million forecast is fueled by institutional FOMO, not fundamentals.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Apr. 2025
At Coachella, defaults are rare, but the $4 million fee haul shows promoters profit handsomely, raising ethical questions about exploiting fans’ FOMO.
—Jack Kelly, Forbes.com, 16 Apr. 2025
Such a sequence of events is enough to give fans FOMO.
—Newsweek, 18 Mar. 2025
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Cathy Cassata, Health, 10 June 2025
There’s, of course, a one-click way to buy the game your friend is showing off to capitalize on FOMO.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 5 June 2025
Research shows that people who reduce social media use report less loneliness and depression—and a whole lot less FOMO.
Go Outside
This one's simple: spend time in nature.
—Alex Backus, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 May 2025
Instead, most of the hype is based on corporate FOMO and a desire to keep up with rivals.
—Michael Barclay, Quartz, 19 May 2025
And lately she’s been hearing so many good ones from the younger generation of female singers and songwriters that she’s got serious FOMO.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 30 Apr. 2025
Cathie Wood's $1.5 million forecast is fueled by institutional FOMO, not fundamentals.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Apr. 2025
At Coachella, defaults are rare, but the $4 million fee haul shows promoters profit handsomely, raising ethical questions about exploiting fans’ FOMO.
—Jack Kelly, Forbes.com, 16 Apr. 2025
Such a sequence of events is enough to give fans FOMO.
—Newsweek, 18 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“FOMO.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/FOMO. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
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