FOMO Definition: Fear of Missing Out & How to Overcome It

Meaning 1：fear of missing out (FOMO)

FOMO 🔊

/ˈfoʊmoʊ/

FOMO means the fear that you are missing out on fun or important things that others are experiencing.

FOMO anxiety person checking social media feeling isolated

fear of missing out 🔊

➕

/fɪr əv ˈmɪsɪŋ aʊt/

The anxiety that one might miss out on rewarding experiences that others are having, often exacerbated by social media.

📁 Category：Physical & Mental Health 🔖 Level：intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

Acronym formed from the first letters of 'Fear Of Missing Out'.

💡 Mnemonic

Fear Of Missing Out — imagine missing a party while scrolling your feed.

📖 Example

When he scrolled through Instagram and saw his colleagues at a concert, he couldn't shake off the FOMO and ended up buying a last-minute ticket. 🔊 When he scrolled through Instagram and saw his colleagues at a concert, he couldn't shake off the FOMO and ended up buying a last-minute ticket.

🔗 Collocations

experience FOMO – To feel the fear of missing out.

have FOMO – To be affected by the fear of missing out.

FOMO anxiety – Anxiety caused by the fear of missing out.

🔄 Synonyms

anxiety (n.) – A feeling of worry about missing out on experiences.

dread (n.) – A strong fear of being left out of enjoyable events.

unease (n.) – A sense of discomfort when missing opportunities or events.

🚫 Antonyms

JOMO (n.) – The joy of missing out, a feeling of contentment when not participating.

contentment (n.) – A state of satisfaction without needing to be involved in events.

indifference (n.) – Lack of interest or concern about missing out.

🌱 Derivatives

FOMOing (v.) – Acting out of fear of missing out.

FOMOist (n.) – A person who frequently experiences FOMO.

📖 Cultural Story

Originating from a 2004 Harvard Business School article, 'FOMO' entered popular culture with social media, describing anxiety over missing enjoyable events.