FOMO

American  

[foh-moh] / ˈfoʊ moʊ /

Or fomo

noun

Slang.

1. a feeling of anxiety or insecurity over the possibility of missing out on something, as an event or an opportunity.

   If I say no to a party invitation, I get a bad case of FOMO.

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Usage

What does FOMO mean? Short for fear of missing out, FOMO is an anxious feeling you get when you feel other people might be having a good time without you. In the digital age, FOMO often leads to a constant checking of social media to see what your friends are doing.

Etymology

Origin of FOMO

First recorded in 2000–05; f(ear) o(f) m(issing) o(ut)

Example Sentences

FOMO, or fear of missing out, suddenly shifted to get me out as the previously extreme upward momentum in those asset classes suddenly reversed.

From Barron's • Feb. 7, 2026

It seems that young people are spending long hours on these social-media platforms mainly because of FOMO: fear of missing out.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 2, 2025

Another factor may now be helping to drive the gold market upwards: FOMO, or fear of missing out.

From BBC • May 12, 2025

So you’re forgiven if you’re developing a bad case of northern lights FOMO.

From Slate • Oct. 16, 2024

We could have done a second show, but we only wanted to do one show because we kind of wanted to create FOMO.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 3, 2024