What does this mean in texting?
Enter one emoji, abbreviation or slang word to see a reviewed plain-English meaning. This lookup is free and always will be.
For text messages and chats — not video captions.
Reviewed meanings
Every meaning below was written and reviewed by a person.
- ✨Sparkles. Adds excitement, emphasis or a light, playful tone; sometimes gently sarcastic.
- ❤️Red heart. Affection, love or warm thanks, depending on the relationship.
- 👀Eyes. Often means “I’m watching this”, curiosity, or a hint that something interesting is happening.
- 👍Thumbs up. Agreement or acknowledgement. To some younger readers it can feel curt, even when it is meant kindly.
- 💀Often used to mean "I'm dead" — that something is extremely funny, shocking or embarrassing. In most texting contexts it is not about death.
- 💯Hundred points. Strong agreement or “absolutely”.
- 🔥Fire. Means something is excellent or impressive.
- 🤔Thinking face. Curiosity, doubt or considering something.
- 🤡Clown face. Usually self-directed: the sender feels foolish. It can be an insult when aimed at someone else.
- 🤷Shrug. “I don’t know” or “whatever you like”.
- 🥲Smiling face with tear. Touched, grateful or bittersweet — happy and emotional at once.
- 🫠Melting face. Overwhelmed, embarrassed or worn out, usually said with humour.
- 😂Face with tears of joy. Laughter or amusement. Some younger texters see it as dated, but it is still widely used.
- 😅Grinning face with sweat. Nervous or awkward laughter — amused but a little uncomfortable.
- 😩Weary face. Frustration or dramatic exhaustion, often exaggerated for humour.
- 😬Grimacing face. Awkwardness or “yikes” — the sender finds the situation uncomfortable.
- 😭Can signal intense laughter or an over-the-top reaction, and can also mean literal crying or being genuinely upset. The surrounding message usually decides which.
- 🙃Upside-down face. Usually signals irony, awkwardness or resigned humour rather than happiness.
- 🙄Rolling eyes. Mild exasperation or teasing. Tone depends heavily on the relationship.
- afaikShort for “as far as I know”. It flags that the information may be incomplete.
- ateAs in “she ate” — a compliment meaning someone performed or looked exceptionally good.
- betUsually means “okay”, “sounds good” or “deal”. It is an agreement, not a wager.
- brbShort for “be right back”. The person is stepping away briefly.
- btwShort for “by the way”. It introduces a side point.
- capMeans “a lie” or “that’s not true”, often written on its own in reply.
- etaShort for “estimated time of arrival” — when someone expects to arrive or finish.
- flexTo show off. “Flexing” can be teasing or admiring depending on tone.
- frShort for "for real". Used to agree with something or to stress that the writer means it sincerely.
- fwiwShort for “for what it’s worth”. It offers information without insisting on it.
- ghostedDescribes someone who stopped replying entirely without explanation.
- gtgShort for “got to go”. The person is ending the conversation.
- hbuShort for “how about you?”. It turns the question back to you.
- highkeyThe opposite of “lowkey”: openly or strongly, as in “I highkey need coffee”.
- icymiShort for “in case you missed it”. It reintroduces something shared earlier.
- idkShort for "I don't know".
- ikrShort for “I know, right?”. It is enthusiastic agreement.
- imhoShort for “in my humble opinion”. Often softens a strong view, and is sometimes used playfully.
- imoShort for “in my opinion”. It marks what follows as a personal view rather than a fact.
- it’s givingIntroduces a comparison or impression, as in “it’s giving holiday” — meaning it reminds them of that.
- iykykShort for “if you know, you know”. It signals an inside joke or shared reference the sender is not explaining.
- jkShort for “just kidding”. It marks the previous line as a joke.
- left on readThe message was seen but not answered. It can be deliberate or simply forgotten — it is not proof of intent.
- lmaoShort for “laughing my head off” (a cruder wording is common). It signals strong amusement and is informal.
- lmkShort for “let me know”. It is a request for a reply when you can.
- lolShort for “laughing out loud”. Today it often just marks a light or friendly tone rather than real laughter.
- lowkeyMeans “somewhat” or “quietly”, as in “I lowkey want to go” — a soft, understated admission.
- midMeans average or underwhelming. Mildly negative, usually about a thing rather than a person.
- nglShort for "not gonna lie" (not going to lie). Introduces an honest or slightly blunt opinion.
- no capMeans “no lie” or “I’m being serious”.
- npShort for “no problem”. A casual “you’re welcome” or “that’s fine”.
- nvmShort for “never mind”. The person is dropping the point; tone can be casual or slightly annoyed.
- omwShort for “on my way”. The person has left or is about to leave.
- rnShort for "right now".
- saltyDescribes someone who seems bitter or irritated about something small.
- slayA compliment meaning someone did something very well or looked great. It is not literal.
- smhShort for “shaking my head”. It usually shows mild disbelief, disappointment or amusement.
- spill the teaAn invitation to share news or gossip. “Tea” here means the story.
- susShort for “suspicious”. It suggests something seems off, usually said lightly.
- tbhShort for “to be honest”. It usually introduces a candid, sometimes blunt, comment.
- tldrShort for “too long; didn’t read”. It introduces or asks for a short summary.
- ttylShort for “talk to you later”. A friendly sign-off.
- tyShort for “thank you”.
- vibeThe general feeling or mood of a person, place or message. “Good vibes” means it feels pleasant.
- wydShort for “what are you doing?”. Usually a casual check-in.
- ywShort for “you’re welcome”.