Internet Slang and Texting Abbreviations: 120 Meanings

LOL♥

Laughing out loud. Used when something is funny, or just to keep a message light.

Everyday

BRB♥

Be right back.

Everyday

BTW♥

By the way.

Everyday

IDK♥

I don’t know.

Everyday

OMG♥

Oh my God, or oh my gosh. Shows surprise or excitement.

Everyday

TBH♥

To be honest.

Everyday

IMO♥

Also called: IMHO

In my opinion. IMHO means in my humble opinion.

Everyday

TTYL♥

Talk to you later.

Everyday

ASAP

As soon as possible.

Everyday

FOMO

Fear of missing out on fun or news that others are enjoying.

Everyday

FYI

For your information.

Everyday

HBD

Happy birthday.

Everyday

HMU

Hit me up. Means contact me or message me.

Intermediate

ICYMI

In case you missed it. Used when sharing older news or posts again.

Intermediate

IKR

I know, right? Agreeing strongly with someone.

Everyday

ILY

I love you.

Everyday

IRL

In real life, as opposed to online.

Everyday

IYKYK

If you know, you know. Hints at an inside joke.

Intermediate

JK

Just kidding.

Everyday

NGL

Not gonna lie. Comes before an honest opinion.

Everyday

NP

No problem.

Everyday

NSFW

Not safe for work. A warning that a link or post may be unsuitable to open in public or at work.

Intermediate

NVM

Never mind.

Everyday

OMW

On my way.

Everyday

ROFL

Rolling on the floor laughing. Stronger than LOL.

Everyday

SMH

Shaking my head. Shows disbelief or disappointment.

Everyday

TL;DR

Too long; didn’t read. A one-line summary of a long post, or a comment that something is too long.

Intermediate

TMI

Too much information. Said when someone shares more personal detail than needed.

Everyday

TY

Also called: THX

Thank you. THX is short for thanks.

Everyday

WYD

What (are) you doing?

Everyday

Slay♥

To do something really well or look great. “You slayed that presentation.”

Everyday

No cap♥

No lie, for real. “Cap” means a lie.

Everyday

Lowkey♥

Quietly or a little bit. “I lowkey want pizza.”

Everyday

Highkey♥

Openly or very much. The opposite of lowkey.

Everyday

Ate

Also called: ate and left no crumbs

Did something perfectly.

Intermediate

Bet

Okay, sounds good, or I agree.

Everyday

Brain rot

Low-effort online content, or the foggy feeling from scrolling too much of it.

Intermediate

Bussin

Really good, usually about food.

Intermediate

Delulu

Short for delusional, often used jokingly about unrealistic hopes.

Intermediate

Ghosting

Suddenly stopping all contact with someone without explanation.

Everyday

Glow up

A big improvement in how someone looks or feels over time.

Everyday

GOAT

Greatest of all time.

Everyday

Hits different

Feels special or better in a particular moment.

Intermediate

It’s giving

It looks or feels like something. “It’s giving holiday mode.”

Intermediate

Main character energy

Acting confidently, as if you are the star of your own story.

Intermediate

Mid

Average or disappointing.

Everyday

Rizz

Charm or flirting skill.

Everyday

Salty

Upset or bitter about something small.

Everyday

Situationship

A romantic relationship with no clear label or commitment.

Intermediate

Stan

To be a big fan of someone or something.

Intermediate

Sus

Suspicious; something seems off.

Everyday

Touch grass

Go outside and take a break from being online so much.

Intermediate

Vibe

The feeling or mood of a person, place or thing. “This cafe has a good vibe.”

Everyday

Vibe check

A playful check of someone’s mood or attitude.

Intermediate

Hashtag♥

A word or phrase after the # symbol that groups posts on the same topic.

Everyday

DM♥

Also called: direct message, PM

A private message sent on a social media app.

Everyday

Viral♥

Spreading very fast online as people share it.

Everyday

Algorithm

The system a social app uses to decide which posts to show you.

Intermediate

Bio

The short description on a social media profile.

Everyday

Clickbait

A misleading headline or thumbnail written to make you click.

Everyday

Doomscrolling

Scrolling through bad news or endless feeds for too long.

Everyday

Engagement

Likes, comments, shares and saves on a post, showing how many people interacted.

Intermediate

Feed

The scrolling stream of posts you see in a social app.

Everyday

Follower

Someone who subscribes to your posts.

Everyday

Going live

Also called: live stream

Streaming video in real time to your followers.

Everyday

Handle

Also called: username

Your account name on a social site, often starting with @.

Everyday

Influencer

Someone with a large online following who can affect what people buy or think.

Everyday

Reel

Also called: short video

A short vertical video, usually under a minute or two, often with music.

Everyday

Repost

Also called: share

Sharing someone else’s post with your own followers.

Everyday

Story

A photo or short video post that disappears after 24 hours.

Everyday

Tag

Mentioning someone in a post or photo so they get notified.

Everyday

Thread

A series of connected posts or replies on one topic.

Everyday

Troll

Someone who posts to upset people or start arguments on purpose.

Everyday

Unfollow

Removing someone from the accounts you follow so you stop seeing their posts.

Everyday

GG♥

Good game. Said at the end of a match to be a good sport.

Everyday

AFK♥

Away from keyboard. The player is not at their device.

Everyday

Buff

Making something in a game stronger in an update.

Intermediate

Camping

Staying in one hidden spot to ambush other players.

Intermediate

Clutch

Winning or saving a match in a tense final moment.

Intermediate

Easter egg

A hidden joke, message or feature placed in a game or app for fans to find.

Everyday

Grinding

Repeating tasks in a game to earn points, items or levels.

Intermediate

Lag

A delay between your action and what happens on screen, usually from a slow connection.

Everyday

Loot

Items, coins or rewards you collect in a game.

Everyday

Nerf

Making something in a game weaker in an update.

Intermediate

Noob

Also called: newbie

A beginner. Sometimes friendly, sometimes an insult.

Everyday

NPC

Also called: non-player character

A character controlled by the game. As slang, someone who acts without thinking for themselves.

Intermediate

OP

Overpowered. A weapon, character or move that is too strong.

Everyday

Respawn

Coming back to life in a game after being defeated.

Intermediate

Speedrun

Finishing a game as fast as possible, often using clever tricks.

Intermediate

EOD♥

End of day. “I’ll send it by EOD.”

Everyday

Async

Not at the same time, such as updating a shared document instead of meeting.

Intermediate

Bandwidth

In office talk, how much time or energy someone has for more work.

Intermediate

EOW

End of week.

Intermediate

ETA

Estimated time of arrival, or when something will be ready.

Everyday

FWIW

For what it’s worth.

Intermediate

KPI

Key performance indicator: a number used to track progress toward a goal.

Intermediate

LMK

Let me know.

Everyday

Loop in

To add someone to a conversation or email thread.

Intermediate

OOO

Out of office.

Everyday

Ping

To send someone a quick message, such as in a chat app.

Everyday

PTO

Paid time off, such as holiday leave.

Intermediate

Sync

A short meeting to get everyone up to date.

Intermediate

TBD

To be decided, or to be determined.

Everyday

WFH

Working from home.

Everyday

Meme♥

A funny image, video or phrase that spreads online, often copied with new captions.

Everyday

Emoji♥

Small pictures used in messages, like smiley faces and thumbs up.

Everyday

All caps

Typing in capital letters, which reads as shouting online.

Everyday

Astroturfing

Fake grassroots support: organised or paid accounts posing as ordinary people to make an idea look popular.

Advanced

Brigading

When a group coordinates to flood a post, review page or poll with comments or votes.

Advanced

Catfish

Someone who pretends to be a different person online, often with fake photos.

Intermediate

Copypasta

A block of text that people copy and paste around the internet as a joke.

Advanced

Doxxing

Publishing someone’s private details, such as their home address, online without permission. It is harmful and often illegal.

Advanced

GIF

A short looping animation, often used as a reaction in chats.

Everyday

Netiquette

Good manners online, such as not typing everything in capital letters.

Intermediate

Photobomb

Appearing in the background of someone else’s photo on purpose.

Everyday

Ratio

When a reply gets more likes than the original post, showing people disagree with it.

Intermediate

Sealioning

Pestering someone with endless polite-sounding questions in bad faith, to wear them down in an argument.

Advanced

Selfie

A photo you take of yourself, usually with a phone.

Everyday

Shadowban

When a platform quietly limits who sees your posts without telling you.

Intermediate

Spoiler

Information that reveals what happens in a film, show or book before you watch or read it.

Everyday