Texting & Internet Slang Abbreviations

606 abbreviations in 7 subcategories

Abbreviations from text messages, chat, social media, online gaming and everyday internet culture. Entries explain the meaning, the tone (friendly, sarcastic, rude), typical platforms and how usage has changed over time, so you can read and use them appropriately.

• Texting and Chat
• Gaming Slang
• Social Media
• Fandom and Fan Fiction
• Gen Z Slang
• Dating and Relationship
• Parenting Forum

Texting and Chat Abbreviations

Classic shorthand from text messages, instant messengers and online chat, from LOL, BRB and BTW to IDK, SMH and TTYL. Most of these terms grew out of 1980s and 1990s bulletin boards, Usenet, IRC and AOL Instant Messenger, then spread through SMS, when a text was capped at 160 characters and typed on a number pad. Each entry explains the tone (friendly, sarcastic, rude), who tends to use the term and whether it is safe in a work message; strong profanity in full forms is partly censored.

All 215 texting and chat abbreviations →

Gaming Slang Abbreviations

Abbreviations typed in game chat, voice channels, Discord servers and streaming communities, from sportsmanship terms such as GG and GLHF to mechanics (DPS, AOE, RNG), match types (PvP, FFA, TDM), stats (K/D, MMR), trading shorthand and tabletop role-playing terms. Many began in 1990s MUDs, MMORPGs and LAN-party shooters before spreading through esports and Twitch. Entries explain what each term means in play, which games or genres it comes from and whether it is friendly, competitive or toxic.

All 145 gaming slang abbreviations →

Social Media Abbreviations

Abbreviations used on social networks, forums and content platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, X (Twitter), Reddit, Facebook, YouTube and Discord. They cover messaging (DM, PM), sharing (RT, QT), content labels and warnings (NSFW, CW, TL;DR), recurring hashtags (TBT, OOTD, WCW), Reddit conventions (OP, TIL, AITA) and the tone tags used to signal sarcasm or sincerity. Entries explain where each term appears, how it is used and whether it would be understood outside that platform.

All 106 social media abbreviations →

Fandom and Fan Fiction Abbreviations

Abbreviations used by fan communities on Tumblr, X, AO3, Wattpad, Discord and BookTok: shipping terms (OTP), fan fiction tags and warnings (AU, WIP, MCD), reader-insert placeholders (Y/N), romance and book-community shorthand (HEA, TBR, DNF), anime and K-pop terms (OP, ED, CB) and convention and comics jargon. Many began on 1990s mailing lists, LiveJournal and FanFiction.Net. Entries explain how each tag is used, where it appears and how to tell it apart from identical abbreviations in other fields.

All 59 fandom and fan fiction abbreviations →

Gen Z Slang Abbreviations

Abbreviations popularized by Generation Z (born roughly 1997 to 2012) and Gen Alpha on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Discord and in group chats, such as NGL, FR, IYKYK, ONG and ATP. Many come from African American Vernacular English and hip-hop before spreading through social media, and some fade within a few years. Entries explain the tone of each term, when it caught on and whether it is safe to use outside a casual chat with friends.

All 47 Gen Z slang abbreviations →

Dating and Relationship Abbreviations

Abbreviations used in texts between partners, on dating apps and profiles, in classic newspaper personal ads and on wedding-planning forums, such as BF, GF, SO, BAE, DTR, LDR and PDA. Some are affectionate pet names, others describe relationship stages or what someone is looking for. Entries explain where each term appears, its tone and how it differs from look-alike meanings; sexually explicit slang is deliberately left out.

All 36 dating and relationship abbreviations →

Parenting Forum Abbreviations

Shorthand used on parenting and family forums such as Mumsnet, BabyCenter, What to Expect and Reddit parenting communities: family codes (DH, DD, DS, MIL), home-and-work terms (SAHM, WAHM), trying-to-conceive and pregnancy jargon (TTC, BFP, 2WW) and baby-care terms (EBF, BLW, CIO). These codes let posters write long personal stories quickly and anonymously. Entries explain each code, where it is most common (British or American forums) and how it differs from identical abbreviations in other fields.

All 42 parenting forum abbreviations →

Edited by the AbbreviationList.com team. Spotted an error or a missing meaning? Contact us.