Chat abbreviations are short forms people type instead of writing a phrase out in full. They save time, and once you know a few they are easy to read. Below is a list of the ones you are most likely to see in our chat rooms, in messages and on social media — including some older ones that have fallen out of use, in case you run into an old-school chatter.
| Abbreviation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 2MORO | Tomorrow |
| 2NITE | Tonight |
| 4U | For you |
| AFAIC | As far as I'm concerned |
| AFAIK | As far as I know |
| AFK | Away from keyboard |
| AKA | Also known as |
| ASAP | As soon as possible |
| A/S/L | Age / Sex / Location |
| ATM | At the moment |
| B4 | Before |
| B4N | Bye for now |
| BAK | Back at keyboard |
| BBIAB | Be back in a bit |
| BBL | Be back later |
| BBS | Be back soon |
| BD | Big deal |
| BFF | Best friends forever |
| BRB | Be right back |
| BRT | Be right there |
| BTDT | Been there, done that |
| BTW | By the way |
| C/A | Chat Avenue |
| CBA | Can't be arsed |
| CU | See you |
| CUS | See you soon |
| CYA | See ya |
| DM | Direct message |
| DW | Don't worry |
| EMSG | Email message |
| EOD | End of discussion |
| ETA | Estimated time of arrival |
| F2F | Face to face |
| FAQ | Frequently asked question |
| FFS | For f*ck's sake |
| FML | F*ck my life |
| FR | For real |
| FTW | For the win |
| FWIW | For what it's worth |
| FYI | For your information |
| GAL | Get a life |
| GG | Good game |
| GJ | Good job |
| GL | Good luck |
| GM | Good morning |
| GMTA | Great minds think alike |
| GN | Good night |
| GOAT | Greatest of all time |
| GR8 | Great |
| GTG | Got to go |
| HBU | How about you? |
| HF | Have fun |
| HMU | Hit me up |
| HRU | How are you? |
| HUA | Head up ass (clueless) |
| IAE | In any event |
| ICN | I see now |
| IDC | I don't care |
| IDGAF | I don't give a f*ck |
| IDK | I don't know |
| IG | I guess |
| IIRC | If I recall correctly |
| IKR | I know, right? |
| ILY | I love you |
| IMHO | In my humble opinion |
| IMO | In my opinion |
| IOW | In other words |
| IRL | In real life |
| ISTG | I swear to God |
| J2LUK | Just to let you know |
| JASE | Just another system error |
| J/K | Just kidding |
| JK | Just kidding |
| JMO | Just my opinion |
| K / KK | OK |
| L8R | Later |
| LMAO | Laughing my ass off |
| LMK | Let me know |
| LOL | Laugh out loud |
| LTNS | Long time no see |
| LY | Love you |
| M8 | Mate |
| MB | My bad |
| MSG | Message |
| MYOB | Mind your own business |
| NBD | No big deal |
| NGL | Not gonna lie |
| NM / NVM | Never mind |
| NOYFB | None of your f*cking business |
| NP | No problem |
| NSFW | Not safe for work |
| OFC | Of course |
| OIC | Oh, I see |
| OMG | Oh my God |
| OMW | On my way |
| OP | Original poster |
| OT | Off topic |
| OTOH | On the other hand |
| P2P | Person to person |
| Peeps | People |
| PFP | Profile picture |
| PITA | Pain in the ass |
| PLS / PLZ | Please |
| PMFJI | Pardon me for jumping in |
| PM / PMSG | Private message |
| POV | Point of view |
| PPL | People |
| QT | Cutie |
| RIP | Rest in peace |
| RN | Right now |
| ROFL | Rolling on the floor laughing |
| ROFLMFAO | Rolling on the floor laughing my f*cking ass off |
| SMH | Shaking my head |
| SNERT | Snot-nosed egotistical rude teenager |
| SOL | Sh*t out of luck |
| SRY | Sorry |
| STFU | Shut the f*ck up |
| SUP | What's up? |
| SUS | Suspicious |
| TBH | To be honest |
| Thx | Thanks |
| TIA | Thanks in advance |
| TILII | Tell it like it is |
| TL;DR | Too long; didn't read |
| TMI | Too much information |
| TTFN | Ta-ta for now |
| TTYL | Talk to you later |
| TTYS | Talk to you soon |
| TY | Thank you |
| UR | Your / you're |
| WAG | Wild ass guess |
| WB | Welcome back |
| WDYM | What do you mean? |
| W/E | Whatever |
| W/O | Without |
| WTF | What the f*ck |
| WTH | What the hell |
| WYD | What are you doing? |
| XOXO | Hugs and kisses |
| YOLO | You only live once |
| YW | You're welcome |
| ZZZ | Bored or sleeping |
No abbreviation matches that search.
A few tips on using them
- You never have to use abbreviations. Typing normally is always fine, and it is easier for everyone to read.
- If you do not recognise something, just ask. Most people are happy to explain.
- Abbreviations change over time and vary between rooms and countries, so the same letters can mean different things in different places.
- Some of these are rude. Our chat rules still apply to an abbreviation exactly as they would to the words written out in full.
Chat room emoticons
The full list of emoticons and smileys you can use in the chat rooms.
See the emoticon list →Spotted one we have missed? Let us know and we will add it.