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
compare jomo

Examples of FOMO in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Mitchell Green, founder and CEO of Lead Edge Capital, a growth equity firm that has $5 billion in assets under management and invests in technology companies has a one word-explanation: FOMO. Luisa Beltran, Fortune, 28 Feb. 2024 The recent wave of investment in HGT companies fueled by low interest rates and FOMO led some venture capital and nontraditional investors to make mistakes that are now just starting to be recognized. Raphaëlle D’ornano, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024 And for those who missed it, Skidmore-Williams says the soothing range of scents, including White Sage + Lavender and Cinnamon Vanilla, might help numb that lingering FOMO. Leigh-Ann Jackson, wsj.com, 19 Oct. 2023 Unfortunately for Paradigm, the firm did not heed its initial misgivings, and, in what appears to have been a case of pure venture capital FOMO, instead pressed ahead all the same with its Series B investment. Jeff John Roberts, Fortune Crypto, 11 Oct. 2023 Between the Venice Film Festival and the DVF Awards, the week got a dose of glam — and served up serious FOMO This week, Venice, Italy, has been the place to be. Kate Hogan, Peoplemag, 1 Sep. 2023 Fans in the comments sections of both stars’ videos were naturally overwhelmed with FOMO. Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 18 July 2023 Millennials also aren’t the first to experience FOMO. Byalicia Adamczyk, Fortune, 11 July 2023 That’s not what people mean by FOMO, my husband said. Weike Wang, The New Yorker, 19 June 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'FOMO.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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 19 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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