80+ Internet Slang Words and Meanings: Simp, Slay, Ohio, HMU & More

Simp means someone who showers a crush with over-the-top attention, slay means to do something flawlessly, and ohio means weird or cringe. Here are instant answers for the 10 most-searched slang terms — plus 76 more words you'll meet in texts, TikTok comments, and group chats.

Key Takeaways

• The 10 most-searched slang meanings — simp, slay, ohio, FWB, BTW, FYI, HMU, IDK, IRL, LMAO — are answered first, with examples you can copy.
• 76 extra terms cover texting abbreviations, reaction words, and the Gen Z and Gen Alpha vocabulary taking over TikTok.
• Slang has a paper trail: rizz was Oxford's Word of the Year 2023, brainrot took 2024, and slop is Merriam-Webster's 2025 pick.
• Context decides tone — the same word can be a compliment in a group chat and an insult in a comment section.
• You don't need any app to use this list; if you want help decoding new terms later, WPS AI can explain them in plain English.

80+ Internet Slang Words and Meanings: Quick Answer

The one-line answers first — every term gets a full breakdown with examples further down:

1. Simp — someone who showers a crush with over-the-top attention. “He liked all 400 of her posts in one night — total simp move.”
2. Slay — to do something exceptionally well or look amazing. “You slayed that interview — they called back in an hour.”
3. Ohio — weird, awkward, cringe, or absurd. “He brought a pet rock to the party. That's so Ohio.”
4. FWB — friends with benefits. “We're not dating, it's more of an FWB situation.”
5. BTW — by the way. “BTW, the meeting moved to 3 pm.”
6. FYI — for your information. “FYI, the office is closed on Monday.”
7. HMU — hit me up — contact me. “Selling two concert tickets, HMU.”
8. IDK — I don't know. “IDK what to order, you pick.”
9. IRL — in real life — offline. “We've gamed together for years but never met IRL.”
10. LMAO — laughing my ass off — that's hilarious. “LMAO why did the cat do that”

What Each of the 10 Most-Searched Terms Really Means

Definition first, then where the word came from, real example sentences, and a tone check so you know when not to use it.

1. Simp Meaning — Someone who showers a crush with over-the-top attention

A simp is someone who goes overboard with attention, compliments, or favors for someone they like — usually without getting the same energy back. It's mostly a playful insult.

The word is a clipping of simpleton (a fool), in print since 1903. It exploded on Twitch and TikTok around 2019–2020, when streamers jokingly banned “simp” from their chats and turned it into a meme. The act itself is called simping.

• “He bought her coffee three days in a row and she still calls him ‘buddy’ — classic simp behavior.”
• “Stop simping in her comments, she doesn't know you exist.”
• “I'm simping so hard for this album, I've streamed it 200 times. (joking self-use)”

Tone: a teasing jab between friends. Affectionate when aimed at yourself, rude when aimed at strangers.

2. Slay Meaning — To do something exceptionally well or look amazing

Slay means to do something exceptionally well, or to look incredible doing it. As a compliment, “you slay” simply means “you're amazing.”

The slang grew out of Black and Latino LGBTQ+ ballroom culture in the 1970s–80s, where “slaying” a category meant owning the runway. RuPaul's Drag Race and Beyoncé's “Formation” (“I slay”) carried it into everyday speech.

• “You slayed that presentation — the client said yes on the spot.”
• “Her red carpet look? Slay. No notes.”
• “Big exam today? Go slay it.”

Tone: warm, supportive hype. One of the safest slang compliments you can give.

3. Ohio Meaning — Weird, awkward, cringe, or absurd

Calling something “Ohio” means it's weird, awkward, cringeworthy, or just absurd. It can also mean boring or foolish.

It started with “Only in Ohio” memes in the late 2010s, which joked that bizarre things happen in the US state of Ohio. Gen Alpha turned it into an all-purpose adjective — often stacked with other slang, like “Ohio rizz” for painfully bad flirting.

• “This video of a raccoon driving a toy car is peak Ohio.”
• “He tried to dab in a job interview. So Ohio.”
• “Bro's Ohio skibidi rizz is not working on anyone.”

Tone: a Gen Alpha/TikTok in-joke. If it confuses you, that's part of the bit.

4. FWB Meaning — Friends with benefits

FWB stands for friends with benefits — two friends who add a casual physical side to their friendship without dating, labels, or long-term commitment.

You'll see it most on dating apps and in relationship conversations, where people use it to describe arrangements that are more than friendship but less than a couple.

• “Are they a couple or just FWB? Nobody knows.”
• “His profile says ‘looking for FWB, nothing serious.’”
• “She said she doesn't want a boyfriend, just a chill FWB thing.”

Tone: casual and adult-coded. Fine in texts, but think twice before using it at work or with family.

5. BTW Meaning — By the way

BTW is short for by the way. It introduces a side note — a small extra piece of information that isn't the main point.

It's one of the oldest internet abbreviations, born in 1990s chatrooms and IRC channels, and it has survived every platform shift since.

• “BTW, your package arrived this morning.”
• “I loved the movie. BTW, stay for the credits scene.”
• “BTW did anyone feed the cat?”

Tone: fine in texts and casual work chat; spell it out in formal emails.

6. FYI Meaning — For your information

FYI stands for for your information. It shares information without asking for a reply — a heads-up, not a question.

It actually predates the internet: FYI appeared in memos as early as the 1940s, then moved naturally into email and texting.

• “FYI, she already submitted the report.”
• “Just an FYI — parking is cash only.”
• “FYI: the Wi-Fi password changed again.”

Tone: neutral, but a bare “FYI.” in an email can read as passive-aggressive. Add a friendly line after it at work.

7. HMU Meaning — Hit me up — contact me

HMU stands for hit me up, which simply means “contact me” — text me, call me, or send me a message.

It spread through early-2000s texting and Facebook culture, and it's still the standard way to invite people to reach out.

• “HMU when you're free this weekend.”
• “Anyone want to play tonight? Hmu.”
• “Bored. Hmu if you're around. (sent to one person, this can carry a flirty undertone)”

Compare LMK (“let me know”), which asks for a specific answer. HMU is more open: get in touch whenever.

8. IDK Meaning — I don't know

IDK is short for I don't know — one of the most common texting abbreviations in English.

It works as a straight answer or as a softener that floats an idea without pushing it: “idk, maybe we should leave early.”

• “IDK if I can make it on Saturday.”
• ““What do you want for dinner?” “Idk, you pick.””
• “He said idk when I asked if he's coming, so probably not.”

Variations: idek (I don't even know — more exasperated), idc (I don't care), idrk (I don't really know). A bare one-word “idk” can feel dismissive — add a suggestion to stay polite.

9. IRL Meaning — In real life — offline

IRL stands for in real life. It marks the line between the offline world and what happens on screens.

The term comes from 1990s chatrooms, where users needed a quick way to separate online life from everything else.

• “He's even funnier IRL than on stream.”
• “We met online but didn't meet IRL until last summer.”
• “How do you two know each other IRL?”

Tone: neutral — everyone from gamers to coworkers uses it.

10. LMAO Meaning — Laughing my ass off — that's hilarious

LMAO stands for laughing my ass off. It's a stronger laugh than lol — something genuinely cracked you up.

It belongs to the same 1990s chatroom generation as lol and rofl, and it's now everywhere from group chats to comment sections.

• “You're joking, right? Lmao.”
• “LMAOOO I can't believe he said that out loud.”
• “That typo has me lmao.”

Variations: lmfao (adds an expletive — even stronger), rofl, and the 💀 emoji (“I'm dead”). The mild swear inside makes it casual-only: skip it in work emails.

31 Texting and Chat Abbreviations You Can Use Today

The shorthand that runs every group chat — copy any of these straight into a message:

• TBH — to be honest. “TBH, I didn't love the ending.”
• NGL — not gonna lie. “NGL, that exam was brutal.”
• SMH — shaking my head — disappointment. “He forgot his keys again, smh.”
• IMO / IMHO — in my (humble) opinion. “IMO the sequel was better.”
• IDC — I don't care. “IDC where we eat, you choose.”
• BRB — be right back. “BRB, grabbing coffee.”
• GTG / G2G — got to go. “GTG, class is starting.”
• TTYL — talk to you later. “Busy now, TTYL.”
• OMW — on my way. “OMW, be there in 10.”
• WYD — what (are) you doing. “WYD tonight?”
• WBU / HBU — what about you / how about you. “I'm team Android, WBU?”
• LMK — let me know. “LMK if plans change.”
• NVM — never mind. “NVM, I found it.”
• OFC — of course. “OFC you're invited.”
• RN — right now. “Can't talk RN, in a meeting.”
• DM — direct message. “DM me the address.”
• TMI — too much information. “TMI, but I haven't slept in two days.”
• TL;DR — too long; didn't read — a summary label. “TL;DR: we won.”
• IIRC — if I remember correctly. “IIRC, the deadline is Friday.”
• AFAIK — as far as I know. “AFAIK, the app is still free.”
• IKR — I know, right. ““The line was two hours.” “IKR?””
• WDYM — what do you mean. “WDYM it's cancelled?”
• ILY — I love you. “Goodnight, ily.”
• BFFR — be for real — are you serious. “BFFR, you paid $900 for that?”
• ONG — on God — I swear. “ONG I didn't touch your fries.”
• FR — for real — agreement or emphasis. “That movie was scary, fr.”
• ISTG — I swear to God. “ISTG if he says that one more time…”
• POV — point of view. “POV: it's 7 a.m. and your alarm never rang.”
• TFW — that feeling when. “TFW the Wi-Fi dies mid-game.”
• MFW — my face when. “MFW the teacher says ‘pop quiz.’”
• IYKYK — if you know, you know. “The cafeteria pizza… IYKYK.”

22 Reaction and Compliment Words for Hype and Humor

What to say when words like “cool” aren't enough anymore:

• Bet — okay, agreed. ““See you at 7?” “Bet.””
• Cap / No Cap — a lie / no lie — for emphasis. “No cap, this is the best pizza in town.”
• Bussin — really good, usually about food. “These tacos are bussin.”
• Mid — mediocre, painfully average. “The sequel was mid at best.”
• Based — unapologetically yourself; a take people respect. “Pineapple on pizza? Based.”
• W — a win. “Finished everything before noon. Big W.”
• L — a loss. “Took an L in ranked tonight.”
• Ratio — replies outnumbering likes — the take flopped. “His hot take got ratioed in minutes.”
• Drip — stylish clothes or accessories. “Check the new drip.”
• Fire — excellent. “This playlist is fire.”
• GOAT — greatest of all time. “Messi is the GOAT.”
• Ate (and left no crumbs) — performed flawlessly. “She ate that solo and left no crumbs.”
• It's giving — has the vibe of. “That outfit? It's giving main character.”
• Hits different — feels uniquely better than usual. “Cold water after a run hits different.”
• Slaps — is really good — music or food. “This track slaps.”
• Valid — reasonable, respectable. “That's a valid point.”
• Mood — a relatable feeling. “Sleeping through Saturday? Mood.”
• Dead / 💀 — dying of laughter. “💀💀💀 that comment ended him.”
• Sending me — making me laugh uncontrollably. “Your typo is sending me.”
• Rent free — stuck in your head. “That chorus lives in my head rent free.”
• Vibe check — assessing someone's mood or energy. “He failed the vibe check immediately.”
• Big yikes — extremely embarrassing. “He called the teacher ‘mom.’ Big yikes.”

23 Gen Z and Gen Alpha Viral Terms From TikTok

The freshest wave — including clanker and slop, the AI-era words that made 2025 headlines:

• Rizz — charisma, flirting skill — Oxford's Word of the Year 2023. “His rizz is unmatched.”
• Aura — your presence in points — gain it, lose it. “He tripped on stage and lost 1,000 aura.”
• Sigma — the lone-wolf archetype — cool without trying. “He ate lunch alone like a true sigma.”
• Skibidi — Gen Alpha nonsense hype word from the Skibidi Toilet series — the absurdity is the point. “What the skibidi was that?”
• Gyatt — an exclamation at seeing someone attractive. “He walked in and the whole chat said gyatt.”
• Mewing — jaw-clenching ‘jawline’ posture — also a kid's excuse to stay silent in class. ““Can't answer, I'm mewing.””
• Fanum tax — playfully stealing a friend's food, from streamer Fanum. “One fry became ten — that's the Fanum tax.”
• Delulu — playfully delusional — ‘delulu is the solulu’. “She's manifesting a text back. Certified delulu.”
• NPC — someone acting scripted, like a background character. “He just stood there repeating the same line — total NPC.”
• Brainrot — mental mush from endless scrolling — Oxford's Word of the Year 2024. “Three hours of TikTok gave me brainrot.”
• Cooked — doomed, finished. “Forgot the deadline? Bro is cooked.”
• Let him cook — wait — they might actually pull it off. “Hold on… let him cook.”
• Crash out — lose composure spectacularly. “He crashed out over a video game.”
• Glazing — over-the-top praising. “Stop glazing him, he just made toast.”
• Opp — opponent, enemy. “They used to be friends, now they're opps.”
• Yap / Yapping — talking too much. “Stop yapping and lock in.”
• Locked in — fully focused. “She deleted every app and locked in for finals.”
• Looksmaxxing — maximizing your appearance, from gym to grooming. “He's on a full looksmaxxing arc this year.”
• Clanker — 2025's viral mock-slur for robots and AI, borrowed from Star Wars. ““Get those clankers off the sidewalk!””
• Slop — low-quality mass-produced AI content — Merriam-Webster's 2025 Word of the Year. “My feed is 90% AI slop now.”
• Bop — a catchy song. “This album is bop after bop.”
• Cheugy — trying too hard in an out-of-date, millennial way. “A ‘Live Laugh Love’ sign is peak cheugy.”
• Rizzler — a person with elite rizz. “Ask the rizzler how he does it.”

Why Internet Slang Changes So Fast

Slang feels random, but it follows a predictable loop:

• Most “new” slang isn't new. Slay, ate, and serving come from Black and Latino ballroom culture, and African-American Vernacular English shapes a huge share of internet speech.
• TikTok's algorithm is an accelerator. Short, repeatable, soundbite-able words go global in days — and can feel retired within months.
• Dictionaries now canonize slang fast. Rizz was Oxford's Word of the Year 2023, brainrot took Oxford's 2024 title, and Merriam-Webster named slop its 2025 Word of the Year.
• AI created the newest word family. Clanker jumped from a Star Wars joke to a viral anti-robot chant in one summer, while slop became the default label for low-effort AI content.

How to Decode Any New Slang Term Like a Pro

Next time a word you don't know blows up, run this playbook:

1. Check the context first. The same word flips meaning by platform — “mid” in a review is different from “mid” in a TikTok comment.
2. Search the exact phrase plus “meaning.” Dictionary sites and slang wikis add viral entries within weeks.
3. Read the replies. Comment sections are the fastest tone-check on the internet.
4. Ask WPS AI to explain it. Paste the confusing chat into a WPS document and ask “explain this slang in plain English” — you'll get the definition with examples.
5. Save your finds. Keep a personal slang glossary in a doc — this list is a good starting point, so copy it.

80+ Internet Slang Words and Meanings: FAQs

What does simp mean in texting?

Simp means someone who shows excessive devotion to a person they like — liking every post, buying gifts, and complimenting nonstop without getting the same energy back. It's usually a playful insult between friends.

Is lmao rude to send someone?

Not rude, but very informal. The word contains a mild swear, so keep it to friends, group chats, and comment sections. In work or formal settings, use “haha” or “that's funny” instead.

What does ohio mean on TikTok?

On TikTok, ohio means weird, awkward, cringe, or absurd. It comes from “Only in Ohio” memes claiming bizarre things happen in the state, and Gen Alpha turned it into an all-purpose adjective.

Can I use btw and fyi at work?

BTW is fine in casual team chats but should be spelled out (“by the way”) in formal emails. FYI is acceptable in most work emails, though a bare “FYI.” can sound curt or passive-aggressive — add a friendly sentence after it.

What is the difference between idk and idek?

IDK means “I don't know.” IDEK means “I don't even know” — it's stronger and usually carries exasperation or disbelief, like “idek what happened last night.”

Where does Gen Z slang come from?

Much of it comes from African-American Vernacular English and LGBTQ+ ballroom culture, filtered through gaming, streaming, and TikTok. The cycle is so fast that dictionaries now induct slang yearly — rizz (2023), brainrot (2024), and slop (2025) all won Word of the Year titles.

More Slang Guides to Explore

Deep dives on single terms, same quick-answer format:

• Rizz Meaning: What It Stands For and How to Use It
• IYKYK Meaning: Definition, Origin and How to Use It
• Sigma Meaning: What the Slang Really Means
• GOAT Meaning: What G.O.A.T. Stands For
• Cap Meaning: The Slang, No Cap and How to Use It
• Mid Meaning: The Slang for Average
• Aura Meaning: The Slang and the Aura Points Meme
• FR Meaning: What It Stands For in Text
• NPC Meaning: The Gaming Term Turned Slang

Trusted Sources for Slang Meanings

Cross-check any term with these references:

• Simp in the Merriam-Webster dictionary
• Ohio in Merriam-Webster's slang dictionary
• Slay in the Merriam-Webster dictionary
• LMAO in the Merriam-Webster dictionary
• Why slop won Merriam-Webster's 2025 Word of the Year
• NPR on how clanker went viral

The Bottom Line

Slang moves fast, but the pattern is simple: every confusing word is just a definition plus a tone check. Bookmark this list, steal the examples, and the next “Ohio skibidi rizz” comment you meet will read like plain English.

Level Up Your Vocabulary with WPS

• Look up any new slang word in seconds with WPS AI.

• Paste confusing chats into a doc and get plain-English explanations.

• Build your own slang glossary with definitions and examples.

• Export and share it in Word, PDF, and PPT formats.

Free Download

100% secure

WPS Office makes it easy to build a personal slang dictionary — save definitions like these, add your own examples, and export clean cheat sheets whenever you need them.