subtweet

American  

[suhb-tweet] / ˈsʌbˌtwit /

noun

1. (on the Twitter website) a hostile or otherwise negative post that is addressed to or about a particular person but does not mention the person’s username or does not name the person at all.

---

verb (used with or without object)

1. to post such a message or tweet about (someone) on Twitter.

   I wish she’d stop subtweeting and talk to me in person.

Usage

What does subtweet mean? A subtweet is a negative post on the social media site Twitter, targeting a certain person without directly mentioning them or their username.

Other Word Forms

• subtweeter
  noun

Etymology

Origin of subtweet

2009; sub(liminal) + tweet (in the sense “a message posted on Twitter”)

Example Sentences

Compound words are on the rise in the book with deadname, pageview, fintech, allyship, babymoon and subtweet.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 16, 2022

The team captured the big reveal — players in green whooping and forming a mosh pit around Freeman — and sent it out on social media with a perfect three-word subtweet: “a player’s coach.”

From Washington Post • Dec. 4, 2021

Still, the Lend feature does seem similar to an interest-bearing bond, which would typically be regulated as securities as an apparent subtweet from the SEC pointed out.

From The Verge • Sep. 20, 2021

In an ideal world, zoomers would have the peace to be able to use TikTok solely to learn dumb dances, or use Twitter just to subtweet irritating classmates.

From Salon • Sep. 1, 2021

But if you arrived on Eric’s timeline to check out the Omarosa subtweet, you may have come across another interesting post:

From Slate • Aug. 17, 2018