negging

American  

[neg-ing] / ˈnɛg ɪŋ /

noun

Slang.

1. the act of insulting someone or something with a backhanded compliment or with qualified approval, especially as a ploy to lower the self-esteem of a person or cheapen an object before showing romantic interest or making an offer.

   I will not tolerate gaslighting, negging, or other mind games in my love life.

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Etymology

Origin of negging

First recorded in 1995–2000; gerund of neg ( def. ) (in the sense “to give negative feedback”)

Example Sentences

But he’s clever enough to hide it, negging his hero into giving him a backstage pass.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 20, 2025

DeVido’s Emma Wheemer — a weary professor prone to negging people she admires and regretting it — feels like people I actually know.

From Washington Post • Mar. 18, 2023

They are kings of monologuing, princes of negging.

From New York Times • May 17, 2022

Perhaps this was a case of a schoolyard bully negging the kid they have a crush on to hide their true feelings, because I’ve been coveting one of those fancy Ember mugs for years.

From The Verge • Dec. 7, 2021

Also, tanking is the pro sports version of the obnoxious seduction technique known as negging.

From The Guardian • Nov. 30, 2016