subtweeting

1 8.4

Posting a message on Twitter about someone without naming them

noun
/ˈsʌbˌtwiːtɪŋ/

Slang

: subtweeting

Her subtweeting about him was quite obvious.

Examples

Subtweeting is a passive-aggressive way to air grievances online.
He accused her of subtweeting him after their argument.
Many people consider subtweeting to be a form of indirect communication.
I noticed a lot of subtweeting during the event.
She engaged in subtweeting when she tweeted about her friend without mentioning her name.
His subtweeting made it clear that he was unhappy with the team's decisions.
After their argument, she resorted to subtweeting rather than confronting him directly.

Antonyms

to tag

Texting

178 2.4

To attach a label to something to show who or what it is

How Direct

to mention

Texting

1 3.0

subtweeting

Slang

1 8.4

hint

276 1.5

Surface Forms

subtweeting singular

subtweetings plural

Morphology

subtweeting = subtweet (semi-transparent) = sub + tweet + ing

Adding -ing to subtweet is a regular verbal noun formation.

Etymology

Subtweeting comes from sub- (meaning 'under' or 'below') and tweet (a 'short message' on Twitter), so it gives the image of a message placed out of direct sight. So, subtweeting means posting about someone without naming or tagging them, so they probably will not be told directly.