sealioning

English

Noun

sealioning (uncountable)

1. A type of trolling or harassment that consists of pursuing people with relentless requests for evidence, often tangential or previously addressed, while maintaining a pretense of civility and sincerity ("I'm just trying to have a debate"), and feigning ignorance of the subject matter, in order to wear down an opponent and incite angry responses that will discredit them.

   Coordinate term: JAQing off

   • 2022 April 26, Tristan Kennedy, The Conversation‎^[1]:

     Sealioning is a harassment tactic by which a participant in a debate or online discussion pesters the other participant with disingenuous questions under the guise of sincerity, hoping to erode the patience and goodwill of the target to the point where they appear unreasonable.

   • 2019 March 7, Amy Johnson, Berkman Klein Centier‎^[2]:

     Sealioning thus works both to exhaust a target’s patience, attention, and communicative effort, and to portray the target as unreasonable. While the questions of the “sea lion” may seem innocent, they’re intended maliciously.

Verb

sealioning

1. present participle and gerund of sealion

   Alternative form: sea lioning

References

• Sealioning, Merriam Webster Dictionary (2023)
• Sealioning, MacMillan Dictionary (2023)