81 Terms To Know About

Web slang spreads like wildfire and generally appears to return out of nowhere. Some are short-lived, some are utilized in area of interest communities, however some go as far as to be included in dictionaries.

Whether or not you spend time on-line as an off-the-cuff consumer or a marketer enacting a social media technique, you need to know what totally different slang and abbreviations imply.

On this submit, we’ll focus on how web slang originates and spreads, outline 81 slang phrases you may come throughout, and description what it takes for slang to be added to our dictionaries.

Desk of Contents

Is the Web to Blame?

As we spend much less time listening to the radio or watching TV and extra time on-line, the latter has essentially the most affect on our day-to-day dialogue.

The quick tempo of the web additionally means we undertake phrases a lot quicker than ever earlier than. “Language itself modifications slowly, however the web has sped up the method of these modifications so that you discover them extra shortly,” David Crystal, honorary professor of linguistics on the College of Bangor, informed BBC Information. You possibly can think about how for much longer it took new phrases to unfold by way of word-of-mouth than it does right now with the web.

How Slang Spreads on the Web

Linguistics and anthropologists have studied how slang spreads for many years, but it surely was solely attainable to measure with precision as soon as public social media networks emerged.

Platforms assist linguists precisely and simply search and document language exchanges. For instance, Jacob Eisenstein and his colleagues on the Georgia Institute of Know-how examined 30 million tweets from the U.S. to pinpoint the origin of widespread slang phrases and their unfold. The picture under is the ensuing map that reveals how phrases migrated and their course of affect.

Slang now strikes round inside weeks and months as an alternative of years, says Julia Coleman, writer of The Lifetime of Slang. “It is not essentially that language is altering extra shortly, however applied sciences have developed they usually enable the transmission of slang phrases to move from one group to a different far more shortly.”

Web Slang Across the World

The web impacts the event of language all internationally.

In Ukraine, Svitlana Pyrkalo says the force-quit technique of urgent management+alt+delete is called Дуля (dulya). A dulya is a Ukranian gesture utilizing two fingers and a thumb, utilized in the identical conditions wherein we‘d give “the finger.” “And also you want three fingers to press the buttons,” says Pyrkalo. “So it’s like telling any individual, a pc on this case, to get misplaced.”

Different international locations have their very own variations of “LOL.” In France, “mdr” stands for “mort de rire,” that means dying of laughter. The Swedish write “asg” as an abbreviation of Asgarv, that means intense laughter. The quantity 5 in Thailand signifies the letter “h,” so 555 is “hahaha.”

It’s vital to notice that numerous widespread web slang comes from African-American Vernacular English (AAVE), a type of English spoken by Black People. Usually, Black folks have conversations on-line, different folks use the phrases, they usually turn into a part of on a regular basis web communicate.

With all of this in thoughts, let’s assessment a few of the hottest web slang phrases, lots of that are acronyms and others full phrases and phrases.

Web Slang Phrases

Common Web Slang

1. Acct

Acct is brief for account.

2. BC

BC stands for as a result of.

3. Wager

Wager has a number of meanings, one being a easy “sure” or a response of settlement, however it may possibly additionally imply “It’s on” as a response to one thing you don’t imagine is true.

For instance, somebody says, “I can do that higher than you,” and somebody responds, “Alright, guess.”

4. BRB

BRB stands for be proper again.

5. BTW

BTW stands for by the best way.

6. Down

Down means “sure,” or a response demonstrating that you just’re up for or all for one thing.

For instance, “Who desires to go to the flicks?” “Down.”

7. Flex

Flex means displaying off. Often folks say, “Bizarre flex however okay,” to react to somebody displaying off or bragging about one thing in poor style.

8. FOMO

FOMO stands for concern of lacking out, and that i’ts used when somebody is nervous about not being invited someplace or isn’t a part of an expertise.

It’s additionally used as an energetic verb, like “Everybody’s on the live performance, and I’m having FOMO.”

9. FYI

FYI stands to your info.

10. Goat

Goat means best of all time. Folks additionally say goated to imply the identical factor. For instance, “Messi is the goat,” or “Messi is goated.”

11. GTG or G2G

GTG and G2G stand for received to go.

12. Highkey

Highkey describes one thing obviously apparent and true that doesn’t should be hidden. It’s the other of lowkey.

For instance, “That was highkey the very best meal I’ve ever had,” or “I highkey want tickets to the present.”

13. IKR

IKR stands for I do know, proper?

14. IMHO

IMHO stands for in my trustworthy opinion or in my humble opinion.

15. IRL

IRL stands for in actual life.

16. Iykyk

Iykyk stands for “If you recognize, you recognize,” and it’s a descriptor for an inside joke or one thing area of interest that applies to a particular group of individuals.

17. JK

JK stands for simply kidding.

18. JOMO

JOMO stands for pleasure of lacking out, and it is used when somebody is unbothered by not being invited someplace/lacking an expertise or is comfortable as a result of they weren’t to start with. The other of FOMO.

19. Ok

Ok means okay, however can also be used when somebody is pissed off and is placing an finish to a dialog.

20. L

L means loss or loser, and it’s normally mentioned when somebody has failed at one thing or a state of affairs hasn’t gone their manner, like “I took an L final night time.”

If folks don’t agree with one thing they see on-line, they could remark “L” to convey their level.

21. LMK

LMK stands for let me know.

22. LOL

LOL stands for giggle out loud.

23. Lowkey

Lowkey has a number of meanings.

• When somebody is barely or reasonably bothered by one thing, but it surely isn’t an enormous deal: “I’m lowkey unhappy I missed the present, however there’s all the time subsequent time.”
• When one thing needs to be stored secret, discreet, and never shared outdoors of the dialog: “Lowkey, I’d stop.”
• To explain a mellow or low-stakes state of affairs: “It was a lowkey occasion with my closest buddies.”

24. Mid

Mid means common or under common. It’s normally a dig at somebody or one thing, like, “That film was mid.”

25. NBD

NBD stands for no large deal.

26. OOTD

OOTD stands for outfit of the day.

27. Photobomb

Photobomb means getting into somebody’s image or video uninvited, normally on goal.

28. Prolly

Prolly is slang for in all probability.

29. Salty

Salty means upset or bothered.

30. TFW

TFW stands for that feeling when.

31. TBH

TBH stands for to be trustworthy.

32. TL;DR

Folks use it earlier than giving a abstract when telling a narrative or sharing info. Folks additionally remark TL;DR to say they gained’t learn one thing as a result of it’s too lengthy.

33. TGIF

TGIF stands for thank god it’s Friday.

34. TMI

TMI stands for an excessive amount of info.

35. Troll

A troll is somebody who purposely sparks controversy on the web. Somebody may say, “Ignore that remark; he’s only a troll.”

36. W

W stands for win, and it’s used when somebody has gained one thing, or one thing good has occurred, like “How was your sport final night time?” “It was nice we received the W!”

The other of L.

Social Media Web Slang

1. AMA

AMA stands for asking me something. It originated on Reddit, the place somebody well-known has an AMA session the place discussion board audiences can submit questions for them to reply.

2. Anon

Anon is brief for nameless.

3. ASMR

ASMR stands for autonomous sensory meridian response, and it’s any video or audio content material that gives a soothing and satisfying feeling to viewers.

4. Bot

A bot is an account that shares spammy and undesirable content material or an individual who shares undesirable content material or is dangerous at one thing.

5. Bump

Somebody says “Bump” to push a remark or submit again to the forefront of a thread or remark part.

6. Caught in 4K

Caught in 4K means to catch somebody red-handed.

7. DM

DM stands for direct message.

8. Doomscrolling

Doomscrolling describes spending limitless time scrolling by way of your social media feeds, normally by way of grim information tales.

It may possibly additionally imply getting caught scrolling by way of content material for a major period of time.

9. FB

FB stands for Fb.

10. Deal with

A deal with is a username on any social media.

11. Hashtag

Hashtag (#) is a manner that folks discover content material on social media. Generally folks say hashtag out loud in an ironic method, like “Hashtag yummy” whereas consuming.

12. Icon

An icon is an image on social media, normally a profile image.

13. IG

IG stands for Instagram.

15. Lurker

A lurker is energetic on social media or particular channels however by no means feedback or participates within the dialog.

16. N00b

N00b is slang for amateur, and it’s a descriptor for somebody who’s a newbie or new to one thing. Folks name themselves a n00b, and saying it to another person means they’re ignorant or dangerous at one thing.

It’s additionally spelled noob or newb.

17. OP

OP stands for unique poster, and it’s the one that began a dialog on social media or was the primary to share one thing.

18. QRT

QRT stands for quote retweet, and it’s when somebody reshares a Tweet to their profile and provides their commentary above it.

19. Ratio/Ratioed

Ratio and ratioed are used as a dig when somebody doesn’t agree with what somebody has mentioned. They could remark “Ratio” with full confidence that they’ll get extra likes than the unique submit as a result of extra folks agree with them.

20. RT

RT stands for retweet, and it’s whenever you reshare another person’s Tweet to your timeline.

21. @me

@me is usually used when somebody sees one thing somebody has mentioned, assumes it’s about them, and tells the unique poster to tag them instantly.

22. Shook

Shook means to be extraordinarily shocked by one thing or an expertise you’ve had.

23. Spam

Spam is content material shared on social media that’s annoying and unwelcome.

24. Stan/stanning

Stan means fiercely supporting somebody or one thing

25. TBT

TBT stands for throwback Thursday.

26. Tea

Tea is gossip. When folks share it, it’s referred to as “Spilling the tea,” or folks might say, “What’s the tea?”

27. TW

TW stands for Twitter.

28. Vibe

Vibe has a number of meanings. It may possibly describe chilling (enjoyable), or how a state of affairs may really feel.

Somebody may say, “What’s the vibe?” or “This provides me a very good vibe,” or “I’m vibing proper now.”

29. Vibe verify

Vibe verify is a query folks ask to see how somebody is feeling or how a present state of affairs goes.

Enterprise Web Slang

1. ASAP

ASAP stands for as quickly as attainable.

2. YT

YT stands for YouTube.

3. B2B

B2B stands for enterprise to enterprise.

4. B2C

B2C stands for enterprise to shopper.

5. CTA

CTA stands for name to motion.

6. DNB

DNB stands for don’t e-book, meant to specify a timeframe whenever you aren’t obtainable for conferences.

7. EOD

EOD stands for finish of day.

8. EOW

EOW stands for finish of week.

9. FAQ

FAQ stands for steadily requested questions.

10. MOM

MOM stands for month over month.

11. OOO

OOO stands for out of workplace.

12. TBA

TBA stands for to be introduced.

13. WFH

WFH stands for earn a living from home.

14. WOM

WOM stands for phrase of mouth.

15. YOY

YOY stands for 12 months over 12 months.

16. Zoombomb/Zoombombing

Zoomboming is a disruption to a Zoom assembly by somebody who hasn’t been invited to the assembly.

How New Phrases Make It Into the Dictionary

As soon as new phrases have grown and turn into a part of the final lexicon, how do acronyms like “LOL” make it to the dictionary? Longevity.

To make it into the dictionary, the final inhabitants should use it and hold utilizing it. Fiona McPherson, Senior Editor, Oxford English Dictionary, says 5 years is an efficient size to turn into eligible for a spot within the large e-book.

Dictionary editors additionally look to us when voting on whether or not a phrase ought to have a spot of their dictionary. “Dictionaries are unbelievable sources, however they’re human and they don’t seem to be timeless,” Language Historian Anne Curzan reminds us. “In the event you ask dictionary editors, what they‘ll inform you is that they’re simply making an attempt to maintain up with us as we alter the language. They‘re watching what we are saying and what we write and making an attempt to determine what’s going to stay and what’s not going to stay.”

So, irrespective of whether or not you assume web slang vitalizes or destroys language, there is no denying how revealing it’s of the tradition that invents and makes use of it — and the convenience with which we adapt our language to new applied sciences and ideas.