LOL
Abbreviation with 2 meanings
| Stands for | Laughing out loud |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 2 |
| Categories | Texting & Internet Slang |
LOL has two meanings. It stands for Laughing out loud (texting and chat) or Lots of love (texting and chat).
Meanings of LOL at a glance
| # | LOL stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Laughing out loud | Texting & Internet Slang › Texting and Chat |
| 2 | Lots of love | Texting & Internet Slang › Texting and Chat |
1. Laughing out loud
Texting & Internet Slang · Texting and Chat Abbreviations
Signals amusement in text, the best-known internet abbreviation in English. It has shifted from literal laughter to a softener that keeps a message light, as in "on my way lol."
Example: Lol I just walked into the glass door at the coffee shop again.
It was in use on 1980s bulletin boards and Usenet, and the Oxford English Dictionary added LOL, along with OMG, in March 2011. Linguist John McWhorter has described modern "lol" as a marker of empathy rather than laughter. Lowercase "lol" feels casual; all-caps "LOL" signals genuine amusement; "lolol" adds emphasis.
2. Lots of love
Texting & Internet Slang · Texting and Chat Abbreviations
Affectionate sign-off on letters, cards and messages, used mostly by older writers and in the UK. It predates the "laughing" meaning but is now far less common.
Example: Have a wonderful time in Spain, lol, Nan.
The two meanings have produced well-known mix-ups, such as a parent ending a sad message with "lol" intending "lots of love." Younger readers will almost always read LOL as laughter, so writers who mean affection should spell it out.