phubbing
pp. Snubbing another person by using your smartphone instead of interacting with that person.
Other Forms
Etymology
Examples
2013
Coined by Alex Haigh, a 23-year-old Melbourne resident, phubbing stands for "phone snubbing", and describes "the act of snubbing someone in a social setting by looking at your phone instead of paying attention".
—Tom Chatfield, “The rise of phubbing - aka phone snubbing,” The Independent, August 05, 2013
2013
Victorians are being called to revolt against a growing modern social scourge branded "phubbing" — slang for snubbing others in social settings while engrossed in a phone.
—Elissa Doherty, “Campaign aims to shame people over rude mobile phone use,” Herald Sun, July 20, 2013
2012 (earliest)
English is heir to some 1 million words. We own the arcane, such as vug (a rock cavity), and the modern (phubbing — or snubbing another with your smartphone).
—David Astle, “Wordplay,” Sydney Morning Herald, June 16, 2012
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