FOMO

Slang Term AmericanBritishAustralian ★★★★★ Very Common Casual
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Meaning: Fear Of Missing Out—anxiety about missing experiences.

Fear Of Missing Out——害怕错过的焦虑。
Fear Of Missing Out—ansiedad por perderse experiencias.
Fear Of Missing Out——取り残される不安。
FOMO — 소외되는 것에 대한 불안감 (Fear Of Missing Out)

FOMO describes the peculiarly modern anxiety of seeing others' curated highlight reels and feeling your own life is inadequate by comparison. It's knowing a party is happening without you, seeing vacation photos while at your desk, watching friends' stories from events you declined. Social media amplifies FOMO exponentially—before smartphones, you didn't know what you were missing. The term named a feeling many recognized, helping people identify and discuss this social media-driven anxiety.

FOMO 描述的是一种特别现代的焦虑——看到别人精心策划的精彩瞬间,觉得自己的生活相比之下不够好。它是知道派对在没有你的情况下进行,是坐在办公桌前看着别人的度假照片,是看朋友在你拒绝的活动上发的动态。社交媒体成倍地放大了 FOMO——在智能手机出现之前,你根本不知道自己错过了什么。这个词给许多人早已感受到的东西命了名,帮助人们识别和讨论这种由社交媒体驱动的焦虑。
El FOMO describe la ansiedad peculiarmente moderna de ver las mejores escenas seleccionadas de la vida de otros y sentir que la tuya es insuficiente en comparación. Es saber que hay una fiesta sin ti, ver fotos de vacaciones desde tu escritorio, ver las historias de tus amigos en eventos a los que no fuiste. Las redes sociales amplifican el FOMO exponencialmente: antes de los smartphones, no sabías lo que te estabas perdiendo. El término puso nombre a un sentimiento que muchos reconocían, ayudando a identificar y hablar de esta ansiedad causada por las redes sociales.
FOMOは、他人の華やかなハイライトを見て自分の人生が不十分だと感じる、現代特有の不安を表す。自分抜きでパーティーが開かれていると知ること、デスクにいながらバカンスの写真を見ること、断ったイベントの友人のストーリーを見ること。SNSはFOMOを飛躍的に増幅させた——スマホ以前は自分が何を逃しているか知らなかった。この言葉は多くの人が感じていたものに名前を与え、SNSがもたらす不安を認識し、話し合えるようにした。
다른 사람들이 나 없이 즐기고 있다는 느낌, 또는 중요한 경험을 놓치고 있다는 불안감.

Examples

  1. I have serious FOMO seeing their vacation photos.
    看到他们的度假照片,我严重FOMO了。
    Tengo un FOMO tremendo viendo sus fotos de vacaciones.
    あの人たちの旅行写真を見るとめちゃくちゃFOMOを感じる。
    그 사람들 여행 사진 보면 심각하게 포모를 느껴.
  2. Don't let FOMO make you overcommit.
    别让FOMO让你承诺太多。
    No dejes que el FOMO te haga comprometerte con demasiadas cosas.
    FOMOに負けて予定を入れすぎるな。
    포모 때문에 일정을 너무 많이 잡지 마.
  3. Social media gives me major FOMO.
    社交媒体让我FOMO得厉害。
    Las redes sociales me provocan un FOMO brutal.
    SNSを見ると強烈なFOMOに襲われる。
    SNS를 보면 심한 포모에 시달린다.

Pronunciation

/ˈfəʊməʊ/

Usage Guide

Context: social media, mental health, decisions

Tone: self-aware, anxious

✓ Do Say

  • Got major FOMO
    严重FOMO了
    Tengo un FOMO enorme
    すごいFOMOだ
    포모.
  • FOMO is real
    FOMO是真的
    El FOMO es real
    FOMOはマジ
    포모 느끼는 중.
  • FOMO-inducing
    引发FOMO的
    Que provoca FOMO
    FOMO誘発する
    완전 포모.

✗ Don't Say

  • Don't dismiss someone's FOMO—the anxiety is real even if the 'missing out' is trivial
    不要轻视别人的FOMO——即使'错过'的事微不足道,焦虑本身是真实的
    No desprecies el FOMO de alguien: la ansiedad es real aunque lo que se 'pierde' sea trivial
    他人のFOMOを軽く見ない——「取り残される」ことが些細でも、不安自体は本物だ
    단어처럼 발음함, 철자 하나하나 아님
  • Avoid using to pressure people: 'You'll have FOMO if you don't come' is manipulative
    不要用来给人施压——'你不来会FOMO的'是一种操控
    Evita usarlo para presionar a la gente: 'Tendrás FOMO si no vienes' es manipulador
    人にプレッシャーをかけるために使わない——「来ないとFOMOになるよ」は操作的だ
    현대 속어

Common Mistakes

Origin & History

The acronym was coined by marketing strategist Dan Herman in 2000 and popularized by author Patrick McGinnis in a 2004 Harvard Business School article. However, it entered mainstream usage around 2013 when Oxford Dictionaries added it. The concept predates social media—humans have always feared exclusion—but Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat made FOMO constant and inescapable. Its counterpart JOMO (Joy Of Missing Out) emerged later as a wellness response.

Etymology: Acronym: Fear Of Missing Out

First recorded: Early 2000s, mainstream by 2013

Cultural Context

Era: 2000s onwards

Generation: Millennials and Gen Z

Social background: Universal

Pop culture: Social media culture; Mental health discussions

Regional notes: Universal modern term. Contrast with JOMO (Joy Of Missing Out).

Variations

FOMOMajor FOMOFOMO-inducing

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