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
In 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

Word History

First Known Use

2004, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of FOMO was in 2004

Dictionary Entries Near FOMO

Cite this Entry

“FOMO.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/FOMO. Accessed 28 Mar. 2023.

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