hashtag
Americannoun
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(on social media websites)
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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.
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a hash mark used in this way.
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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.
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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)
noun
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
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
“Another bonding week,” Rodgers wrote, adding the hashtag #fam.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
Videos of villagers knee-deep in floodwater frantically trying to catch snakes swimming in a flooded Guangxi town went viral on social media, with a related hashtag racking up over 180 million views.
From Barron's ● Jul. 7, 2026
The hashtag #childfree features over 127,900 videos on TikTok, while #childfreebychoice has more than 68,100.
From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2026
Then, finally, the truth about the fact is revealed, with Wiles sharing that her neighbors were of a more high-brow Hollywood class, sharing an image of Craig and Weisz with the hashtag #holyairball.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 15, 2026
And there were pictures of people holding up pieces of paper with the hashtag written on it.
From "All American Boys" by Jason Reynolds
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
On social media, videos touting the virtues of blue-collar careers are racking up views and spawning hashtags like #nodebtneeded.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 22, 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
Anyway, I think Mr. Neely has managed to brainwash me with his hashtags and experiments, because I kept thinking about the scientific process during therapy.
From "The Science of Breakable Things" by Tae Keller
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
That’s true in real estate, too, where celebrities have peddled hashtagged images of luxury condos in exchange for payouts and swag.
From New York Times ● Jan. 24, 2023
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
In a series of Instagram Stories clips — hashtagged #DELETESPOTIFY and #whatifweallleave — she said she wanted to post the Rogan clips to contextualize her earlier decision.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 5, 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
But you with your armchair analysis, and you tweeting, and you're hashtagging, that's not helping me.
From Salon ● Sep. 16, 2021
“We just need people to keep hashtagging, keep sharing the report,” Whitaker said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 22, 2020
After some desultory hashtagging, they stopped even that.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 29, 2019
Anyone hashtagging #ThankYouObama ignore the haters and negative comments.
From The Guardian ● Nov. 16, 2016
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
