What is Text message abbreviations and acronyms? | Definition from TechTarget (2024)

Text abbreviations are shortened versions of a word or phrase used. The abbreviations and acronyms are used to save time, avoid typing and ensure a social media post stays within a certain character limit. Although many seem as if they are misspelled, grammatically incorrect or confusing, texting abbreviation and texting acronyms are commonly used and are meant to expedite communications by shortening them so that the user doesn't have to spell out phrases, expressions or sentences. The use of emoticons is also pervasive in online communications and texting.

Abbreviation Meaning
?4U I have a question for you
<3 Love/friendship (more 3s is a bigger heart)
121 One to one
2 To (in texting)
2EZ Too easy
2F4U Too fast for you
2G2BT Too good to be true
2M2H Too much to handle
2MORO Tomorrow
2NITE Tonight
4 For (in texting)
8L3W Eight letters, three words (I love you)
AAMOF As a matter of fact
AAQ Assumed asinine question
AFK Away from keyboard
ABC Already been chewed
ABT About
ADDY Address
ADMIN Administrator
AMIIC Ask me if I care
AND Any day now
AFAIK As far as I know
AH At home
AIGHT Alright
AISB As it should be/as I said before
AKA Also known as
ALOL Actually laughing out loud
APP Application
ASAP As soon as possible
A/S/L Age/sex/location
ATB All the best
AYDY Are you done yet?
AYS Are you serious?
AYT Are you there?
B2W Back to work
B4 Before
BAE Before anyone else/slang for "baby"
BAK Back at keyboard
BAMF Bada** motherf*****
BAU Business as usual
BBL Be back later
BBS Be back soon
BC Because
BCNU Be seeing you
BD Big deal
BDAY Birthday
BFF Best friends forever
BFD Big freaking deal
BFN Bye for now
BIF Before I forget
BLNT Better luck next time
BOL Best of luck
BR Best regards
BRB Be right back
BRT Be right there
BTDT Been there, done that
BTW By the way
BYOB Bring your own beer
BYOC Bring your own computer
BYOD Bring your own device
BYTM Better you than me
CHK Check
CID Consider it done
CLD Could
CLK Click
CMON Come on
COB Close of business
CRAY Crazy
CRE8 Create
CU See you
DBEYR Don't believe everything you read
DERP Meaning stupid or silly
DGT Don't go there
DILLIGAS Do I look like I give a s***?
DIY Do it yourself
DKDC Don't know, don't care
DL Download
DM Direct message (Twitter)
DQMOT Don't quote me on this
DUPE Duplicate
EAK Eating at keyboard
EOBD End of business day
EOD End of day/end of discussion
EOM End of message
ETA Estimated time of arrival
EZ Easy
F2F Face to face
FAF Funny as f***
FAQ Frequently asked questions
FB Facebook
FBM Fine by me
FBOW For better or worse
FF Follow Friday (Twitter)
FIMH Forever in my heart
FOAF Friend of a friend
FOMO Fear of missing out
FRT For real though
FTBOMH From the bottom of my heart
FTL For the loss
FTW For the win
FUBAR F***** up beyond all recognition
FWB Friend with benefits
FWIW For what it's worth
FWM Fine with me
FYA For your amusem*nt
FYEO/4YEO For your eyes only
FYI For your information
G2CU Good to see you
G2G Got to go
GB Goodbye
GB2W Get back to work
GD Good
GFI Go for it
GL Good luck
GOI Get over it
GR8 Great
GRATZ Congratulations
H8 Hate
HAK/H&K Hug(s) and kiss(es)
HAND Have a nice day
H-BDAY Happy birthday
HRU How are you?
HW Homework
IAE In any event
IC I see
ICBW It could be worse
ICYMI In case you missed it
IDC I don't care
IDGAF I don't give a f***
IDK I don't know
IFYP I feel your pain
IGN I've got nothing
ILY/ILU I love you
IM Instant message
IMHO In my humble opinion
IMO In my opinion
IMS I am sorry
IMU I miss you
IRL In real life
ISO In search of
ITYK I thought you knew
IYKWIM If you know what I mean
IYSS If you say so
JIC Just in case
JK Just kidding
JW Just wondering
K OK
KK Cool cool
KEWL Cool
L8R Later
LIC Like I care
LMAO Laughing my a** off
LMFAO Laughing my f****** a** off
LMK Let me know
LOL Laughing out loud
LOTI Laughing on the inside
LTD Living the dream
LTNS Long time no see
LULZ LOL (slang)
LYSM Love you so much
MEH So-so or just OK
MHOTY My hat's off to you
MKAY Mmm, OK
MSG Message
MYOB Mind your own business
N00b Newbie, novice
N2M Not too much
NBD No big deal
NGL Not gonna lie
NFS Not for sale
NFW No f****** way
NIMBY Not in my backyard
NLT No later than
NM Nothing much
NMU Not much, you?
NOYB None of your business
NP No problem
NSFW Not safe for work
NVM Nevermind
NOW No way out
OBV Obviously
OH Overheard
OG Original gangster
OIC Oh, I see
OMDB Over my dead body
OMFG Oh my f****** God
OMG Oh my God
OMW On my way
OP Original poster/original post
OS Operating system
OT Off-topic
OTB Off to bed
OTFL On the floor laughing
OYO On your own
PDA Public display of affection
PEBCAK Problem exists between chair and keyboard
PITA Pain in the a**
PLS Please
PM Private message
POV Point of view
PPL People
PROLLY Probably
PRT Please Retweet (Twitter)
PTFO Pass the f*** out
PTL Praise the Lord
PTMM Please tell me more
PWN Own (slang)
Q4U (I have a) question for you
QOTD Quote of the day
QQ Quick question
R Are
RBTL Read between the lines
RLY Really
ROFL Rolling on the floor laughing
ROFLCOPTER Rolling on the floor laughing and spinning around
ROFLMAO Rolling on the floor laughing my a** off
RT Retweet (Twitter)
RTM Read the manual
RTFM Read the f****** manual
SH S*** happens
SH^ Shut up
SITD Sitting in the dark
SK8 Skate
SLAP Sounds like a plan
SMH Shaking my head
SNAFU Situation normal, all f***** up
SOB Son of a b****
SOL Sooner or later
SRSLY Seriously
SRY Sorry
STBY Sucks to be you
STFU Shut the f*** up
STR8 Straight
SUP What's up?
SUX Sucks or "it sucks"
SYL See you later
SYS See you soon
TBD To be determined
TBH To be honest
TBT Throwback Thursday (Twitter/other social media sites)
TCB Take care of business
TFTF Thanks for the follow (Twitter)
TGIF Thank God it's Friday
THX Thanks
TIL Today I learned
TL Too long
TLC Tender loving care
TL;DR Too long; didn't read
TMB Tweet me back (Twitter)
TMI Too much information
TMOT Trust me on this
TWSS That's what she said
TTYL Talk to you later
TTYS Talk to you soon
TYT Take your time
TYSO Thank you so much
UFB Un-f******-believable
UFN Until further notice
UOK Are you OK?
VM Voicemail
VRY Very
WAH Working at home
WAYF Where are you from?
WBU What about you?
W/E Whatever
WH5 Who, what, when, where, why
WDYK What do you know?
WDYT What do you think?
WRK Work
WTF What the f***?
WTG Way to go
WYSIWYG What you see if what you get
WYD What are you doing?
WYGAM When you get a minute
WYWH Wish you were here
Y Why (?)
XOXO Hugs and kisses
YHBW You have been warned
YNK You never know

This was last updated in April 2019

Continue Reading About Text message abbreviations and acronyms

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Absolutely, I'm well-versed in the realm of text abbreviations and acronyms, particularly in how they're utilized in modern communication platforms like social media and texting. The article you provided delves into the diverse landscape of shorthand used for quick and concise messaging, spanning from familiar acronyms like "LOL" (Laugh Out Loud) to more intricate and context-specific abbreviations such as "FRT" (For Real Though).

Each abbreviation or acronym serves a specific purpose: some convey emotions like <3 for love or friendship, while others, like "B4" for "Before," save characters and typing effort. Emoticons also play a significant role in augmenting textual expression.

Understanding these abbreviations entails recognizing their context and nuances, like using "BFF" (Best Friends Forever) in a casual conversation or employing "AFK" (Away From Keyboard) to indicate a temporary absence in an online exchange.

Additionally, the article aligns with the concept of efficient communication in the digital age, emphasizing the utility of these abbreviations for saving time, bypassing character limits, and streamlining messages.

The provided glossary demonstrates an extensive range of these abbreviations and acronyms, encompassing everything from basic expressions like "OK" and "L8R" (Later) to more intricate ones such as "EOBD" (End of Business Day) or "PTFO" (Pass the F*** Out).

Furthermore, these shortcuts cover diverse linguistic areas, from casual conversations ("JIC" for Just In Case) to business communications ("ATB" for All The Best), showcasing their prevalence and adaptability across various contexts.

Additionally, the glossary extends beyond mere abbreviations, including social media and digital communication-specific terms like "RT" (Retweet) and "DM" (Direct Message), highlighting the evolving lexicon within these platforms.

Lastly, this resource seems to acknowledge the dynamic nature of language by mentioning its last update in April 2019, emphasizing the continuous evolution and integration of new terms into the digital vernacular.

What is Text message abbreviations and acronyms? | Definition from TechTarget (2024)

FAQs

What is the acronym for text message? ›

SMS – Short message service.

What are abbreviations and acronyms in technical context? ›

Self-Study
A or ampampere
engg.engineering
engr.engineer
e.g.exempli gratia, for example
EPAEnvironmental Protection Agency
80 more rows

What does FTW mean? ›

FTW is an abbreviation of the phrase for the win. For the win is a slang expression that enthusiastically conveys something is excellent or will succeed—it's awesome, the greatest, the best ever.

What does 53 mean in texting? ›

53x stands for sex. 53x is an internet slang expression that is code for sex.

What does KK mean in text? ›

Phrase. kk. (Internet slang) Reduplication of k (“o*kay”) (indicates that no further explanation is necessary for a subject, or that the message was understood and will be acted upon without further confirmation). (Internet slang) okay cool (a shortened response usually used at the end of a conversation).

What do the symbols mean in Android text messages? ›

Timer : Your message is being sent. Single check : Your message has been sent. Double check : Your message has been delivered. Color-filled double check : Your message has been read.

What does 3 dots mean in texting? ›

The ellipsis ... (/əˈlɪpsɪs/; also known informally as dot dot dot) is a series of dots that indicates an intentional omission of a word, sentence, or whole section from a text without altering its original meaning.

What do the symbols next to text messages mean Android? ›

A single check mark means the message has been sent to the recipient. Two check marks, on the other hand, means the message has been delivered. Read messages also display two check marks, but unlike the check marks for delivered messages that are housed in white or empty circles, these are housed in colored circles.

What are 10 acronyms? ›

List of Acronyms Examples
  • LOL – Laugh out loud.
  • YOLO – You only live once.
  • ASAP – As soon as possible.
  • WIP – Work in progress.
  • FOMO – Fear of missing out.
  • PIN – Personal Identification Number.
  • SONAR – Sound Navigation and Ranging.
  • ZIP – Zone Improvement Plan.

What is the abbreviation for technical communication? ›

The abbreviation of the journal title "Technical communication" is "Tech. Commun.". It is the recommended abbreviation to be used for abstracting, indexing and referencing purposes and meets all criteria of the ISO 4 standard for abbreviating names of scientific journals.

What is technology abbreviation? ›

Tech is short for technology.

What does FTD stand for? ›

Frontotemporal disorders (FTD), sometimes called frontotemporal dementia, are the result of damage to neurons in the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain. Many possible symptoms can result, including unusual behaviors, emotional problems, trouble communicating, difficulty with work, or difficulty with walking.

What does DM mean? ›

In the digital world, “DM” usually stands for “Direct Message.” A DM is a private mode of communication between social media users. When you send a direct message, only you and the recipient can see the content. Instagram, Facebook and Twitter all have their own direct messaging platforms.

What is the abbreviation for instant messaging? ›

Acronyms are used extensively in online chat conversations and Instant Messaging (IM) as a short cut to typing an entire expression.

What does ifykyk mean? ›

"IFYKYK" is a social media acronym that stands for "If You Know, You Know."

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