# Can we have a dictionary, please? {about sealioning}

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-have-a-dictionary-please-about-sealioning/964793>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [May 20, 2022, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-have-a-dictionary-please-about-sealioning/964793 "2022-05-20T20:33:03Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
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**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\
**Post date:** [May 20, 2022, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-have-a-dictionary-please-about-sealioning/964793/10 "2022-05-20T21:31:02Z")

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OP, I wouldn’t focus too much on the original comic strip after which the behavior is named - the point it’s trying to make is pretty opaque.

[What is Sealioning?: A Type of Trolling | Merriam-Webster](https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/sealioning-internet-trolling)

> _Sealioning_ refers to the disingenuous action by a commenter of making an ostensible effort to engage in sincere and serious civil debate, usually by asking persistent questions of the other commenter. These questions are phrased in a way that may come off as an effort to learn and engage with the subject at hand, but are really intended to erode the goodwill of the person to whom they are replying, to get them to appear impatient or to lash out, and therefore come off as unreasonable.

And if you’re really interested, there’s a long prior thread here, but in terms of the basic definitions already given here I don’t think it adds much.

[Sealioning](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sealioning/841837)

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