hashtag

American  

[hash-tag] / ˈhæʃˌtæg /

noun

• hashtags
  plural

1. (on social media websites)

   1. a word or phrase preceded by a hash mark (#), used within a message to identify a keyword or topic of interest and facilitate a search for it.

      The hashtag #sandiegofire was used to help coordinate an emergency response to the fire.

   2. a hash mark used in this way.

2. 1. a word or phrase preceded by a hash mark (#) or by the word hashtag , used to add wit or emphasis to a spoken or written statement.

   2. a hash mark or the word hashtag used in this way, as in the sentence His goodbye was so hashtag awkward.

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verb (used with or without object)

hashtagged, hashtagging

1. to add a hashtag to (a word, topic, or message).

   Someone on Twitter just hashtagged the film festival.

hashtag British  

/ ˈhæʃˌtæɡ /

noun

1. (on the Twitter website) a word or phrase preceded by a hash mark, used to denote the topic of a post

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Usage

What does hashtag mean? A hashtag is a word or phrase preceded by a hash mark (#), also known as a pound sign, used primarily on social media. On social media, hashtags provide users a way to search for posts related to the word or phrase in the hashtag. You can click on a hashtag to see a list of recent posts that include that keyword. (A couple of our favorites are #WordOfTheDay and #WordNerd.)To hashtag means to add a hashtag to a word, topic, or message, as in We hashtag our posts about history with #HistoryMatters so you can find them easily. Example: Use the hashtag #petthedog with a video of you petting your dog for a chance to win our contest.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• hashtags
  plural

Etymology

Origin of hashtag

First recorded in 2005–10; hash (mark) + tag ¹ (in the sense “a label or keyword”)

Explanation

A hashtag is a keyword or phrase that's used on social media. By searching for a certain hashtag, you can easily find the cute cat content you're looking for. To create a hashtag, type # (which is variously called the "number sign," "pound sign," or "hash") followed by a word. You might post about a successful pie-baking experiment and use the hashtags #pie, #sourcherrypie, and #baking. And if you're looking for content about capybaras, just click on #capybara and you'll see a list of every photo or post with that hashtag. The very first hashtags appeared on Twitter in 2007, and they quickly spread across all social media.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

hashtag hashtags hashtagged hashtagging

“Another bonding week,” Rodgers wrote, adding the hashtag #fam.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026

The decision has divided the public online in China, with a hashtag linked to the case drawing more than 400 million views and tens of thousands of comments.

From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026

Punch's predicament sparked huge interest online, spawning a devoted fanbase under the hashtag #HangInTherePunch.

From Barron's ● May 18, 2026

Mr. Bernard, who teaches the history of science at Leuphana University in Lüneburg, Germany, has written on the history of the elevator and the theory of the hashtag.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 15, 2026

You know how weird it is to hashtag yourself, to read posts and updates other people—most of whom you don’t even know—make about you?

From "All American Boys" by Jason Reynolds

At the end of the meeting, Smiley encouraged people to continue to push for the completion of the project and to post on social media with hashtags such as #KeepThePromiseCrenshaw, #ProcrastinationCrenshaw and #DestinationCrenshaw.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026

In the meantime, however, we’re going to see plenty more creative methods of getting around the need for hashtags.

From Slate ● Jun. 27, 2026

Indeed, the Muck Rack data estimate that less than 30,000 individuals have posted over 50,000 times with mentions and hashtags like #taxstrike.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 6, 2026

The hashtags spoke of "Bridges of Friendship" and "United Through Oceans".

From BBC ● Mar. 6, 2026

She is constantly taking pictures, constantly following hashtags.

From "The Sea in Winter" by Christine Day

An NFL spokesman confirmed to AFP that the boy was an actor, and an Instagram post seemingly from the child in question, Lincoln Fox, was hashtagged #youngbadbunny.

From Barron's ● Feb. 9, 2026

They blocked freeways and normalized sharing hashtagged videos on social media to whip up public outrage.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 6, 2024

Burke, 49, had coined “Me Too” as part of her advocacy work more than a decade before a hashtagged tweet from actor Alyssa Milano, in the wake of the Weinstein allegations, saw the phrase explode.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 14, 2022

Slovak media reported the main suspect had posted messages with the phrases “hate crime” and “gay bar” hashtagged on Twitter.

From Reuters ● Oct. 13, 2022

On TikTok, videos hashtagged #SamLevinson have received nearly 40 million all-time views, the company said.

From New York Times ● Feb. 28, 2022

Someone had used it in a magazine cover, and all these Muslims found it hilarious and were hashtagging it and joking about it.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 15, 2022

Certainly it’s refreshing to see an end-of-the-world movie in which the characters aren’t just cluelessly hashtagging their way to oblivion the way they do in “Don’t Look Up,” another recent movie about humanity’s impending extinction.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 3, 2022

But you with your armchair analysis, and you tweeting, and you're hashtagging, that's not helping me.

From Salon ● Sep. 16, 2021

Chefs, cafe and restaurant owners, baristas and liquor producers around the country are pledging their support and hashtagging their efforts on Instagram under #restaurantsforrelief.

From Washington Post ● Jan. 16, 2020

But most of his products haven’t been blockbusters; in fact, the only way most of his fans probably hear about them is from his constant hashtagging on social media.

From The Guardian ● Jul. 14, 2015