Texting Dictionary: 140+ Text Abbreviations Explained

In personal conversations, it’s common to see abbreviations like LOL, BRB, or IDK used to keep things casual.

This style of communication has also made its way into the business space. Teams, sales reps, and support staff now use texting to connect quickly with leads and customers.

While some abbreviations work well in a work setting, many terms from casual texting don’t carry the same tone in a professional message.

In this texting dictionary, you’ll find a list of abbreviations, along with their meanings and how to use them in the right context. You’ll be able to separate casual slang from business-friendly terms, so your messages stay respectful and easy to understand, no matter who you’re texting.

TL;DR

• Text abbreviations are part of everyday communication and help keep conversations quick and casual.
• There are common types of abbreviations used in different settings, including everyday slang, business terms, social media language, and SMS marketing acronyms.
• When texting with acronyms, it's important to match them to the audience, avoid stacking too many abbreviations, format consistently, check for meaning, review before sending, use templates, and avoid shortcuts in sensitive messages.
• TextUs equips your team with an SMS platform built to send professional texts, manage conversations in one place, and keep every message on-brand.

140+ Common Text Abbreviations and Their Meanings

Texting has its own language, and it’s built around speed. If you're chatting with friends or replying to a quick message at work, abbreviations help you say more with fewer words.

Below is a list of commonly used text abbreviations.

Everyday Text Abbreviations

1. LOL – Laugh out loud
2. LMAO – Laughing my a** off
3. ROFL – Rolling on the floor laughing
4. OMG – Oh my god
5. OMW – On my way
6. FTW – For the win
7. IKR – I know, right?
8. TBH – To be honest
9. IM – Instant message
10. IMHO – In my honest/humble opinion
11. FWIF – For what it’s worth
12. BF4L / BFFL – Best friends for life
13. BFF – Best friends forever
14. MIRL – Meet in real life
15. MKAY– Mmm, okay
16. NGL – Not gonna lie
17. AFAIK – As far as I know
18. IYKWIM – If you know what I mean
19. IYKYK – If you know, you know
20. GG – Good game
21. WTF – What the f***
22. GOAT – Greatest of all time
23. GR8 – Great
24. GRATZ – Congratulations
25. BRB – Be right back
26. BRT – Be right there
27. TTYL – Talk to you later
28. GTG – Got to go
29. AFK – Away from keyboard
30. GJ – Good job
31. GL – Good luck
32. GLHF – Good luck, have fun
33. RN – Right now
34. JW – Just wondering
35. LMK – Let me know
36. NVM – Never mind
37. NVR – Never
38. IDC – I don’t care
39. IDK – I don’t know
40. NBD – No big deal
41. MYOB – Mind your own business
42. W/E – Whatever
43. H8 – Hate
44. BC – Because
45. B4 – Before
46. WYD – What are you doing?
47. DAE – Does anyone else?
48. HMU – Hit me up
49. ISO – In search of
50. BYOB – Bring your own beer
51. BOGO – Buy one, get one
52. TGIF – Thank God it’s Friday
53. HBD – Happy birthday
54. TW – Trigger warning
55. TLC – Tender loving care
56. JIC – Just in case
57. ABT – About
58. TMI – Too much information
59. BTW – By the way
60. FTFY – Fixed that for you
61. POV - Point of view
62. PPL – People
63. PROLLY – Probably
64. IRL – In real life
65. WYSIWYG – What you see is what you get
66. NBG – No big deal
67. NE – Any

Business Texting Terms

1. EOD – End of day
2. OOO – Out of office
3. FYI – For your information
4. TL;DR – Too long; didn’t read
5. NRN – No reply necessary
6. TBA – To be announced
7. TBD – To be decided
8. TBC – To be confirmed
9. TIA – Thanks in advance
10. ASAP – As soon as possible
11. ETA – Estimated time of arrival
12. MSG – Message
13. MTF – More to follow

Social Media Slang

1. DM – Direct message
2. RT – Retweet
3. IG – Instagram
4. FB – Facebook
5. YT – YouTube
6. No Cap – No lie/being honest
7. Cap – Lie/exaggeration
8. SUS – Suspicious behavior
9. FR / FRFR – For real/for real for real
10. XOXO – Hugs and kisses
11. Peeps – People
12. Pic – Picture
13. QT – Cutie
14. qtpi – Cutie pie
15. Stan – A strong fan or loyal supporter
16. Ghosting – Suddenly cutting off all contact
17. Flex – Showing off or bragging
18. Thirsty – Desperate for attention
19. Cringe – Awkward or embarrassing content
20. Slaps – Something that’s really good (often music or food)
21. Mood / Vibe – Emotional tone or reaction
22. ICYMI – In case you missed it
23. OOTD – Outfit of the day
24. GRWM – Get ready with me
25. BF – Boyfriend
26. GF – Girlfriend
27. G2G – Gotta Go
28. TBT – Throwback Thursday
29. FBF – Flashback Friday
30. NSFW – Not safe for work
31. SFW – Safe for work
32. SMH – Shaking my head

Acronyms Used in SMS Marketing Campaigns

1. SMS – Short message service
2. MMS – Multimedia messaging service
3. RCS – Rich communication services
4. UX – User experience
5. SCN – Short code number
6. CTR – Click-through rate
7. CPL – Cost per lead
8. CTO – Click-to-open rate
9. CPM – Cost per mille
10. KPI – Key performance indicator
11. LTV – Lifetime value
12. CRM – Customer relationship management
13. UGC – User-generated content
14. SMB – Small and medium-sized business
15. TCPA – Telephone Consumer Protection Act
16. CTIA – Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association
17. DNC – Do not call
18. P2P – Person to person
19. A2P – Application to person
20. FAQ – Frequently asked questions
21. CSAT – Customer satisfaction score
22. TAT – Turnaround time
23. SLA – Service-level agreement
24. CRM – Customer relationship management
25. CTA – Call to action
26. MQL / SQL – Marketing Qualified Lead / Sales Qualified Lead
27. ABM – Account-based marketing
28. CPL – Cost per lead
29. ROI – Return on investment
30. NPS – Net promoter score
31. WFH – Work from home
32. ATS – Applicant Tracking System
33. CV – Curriculum vitae
34. PT / FT – Part-time / Full-time

How to Use Text Abbreviations

Text abbreviations make messages shorter and faster to read. But using them well takes more than just typing in all caps. 

Here’s how to use text abbreviations in a way that keeps your communication smooth:

Everyday Casual Texts

These are informal phrases used with friends or close contacts.

• WYD tonight? Thinking about catching a movie or hanging out.
• BRB, I’m heading to the kitchen to grab something to eat.
• That movie was hilarious, LOL.

Internal Team Chat

These are common in workplace messaging apps or group texts.

• I’ll send the final version of the slide deck by EOD.
• FYI, the client moved the meeting to Thursday morning.
• I’m OOO all day tomorrow, so please copy me in on anything important.

SMS Campaign and Marketing Texts

These are examples of mass texts sent by businesses to customers or subscribers.

• ICYMI: Our spring clearance sale just started. Save 30% on all items today.
• Your ETA for delivery is now 5:15 PM.
• LMK if you’d like to reschedule your appointment for another day.

These messages work best when tested before sending, especially when timing the moment around product launches or sales.

Sales and Customer Support Texts

These examples come from customer-facing or sales message follow-ups.

• We’ll confirm the location TBD once we finalize with the client.
• That FAQ doesn’t cover this issue. I’ll send a new link with full steps.
• Appreciate your feedback — we’ll tag it in our CRM for future updates.

Social Media or Influencer Messaging

These are slang or caption-style phrases inspired by online trends.

• GRWM: Here’s what I use every morning to reset and refocus.
• No cap, this new app has made my workflow way faster.
• POV: You’re trying to act normal on a video call, but your dog won’t stop barking.

Best Practices for Sending Text Messages With Abbreviations

Now that you’ve seen how text abbreviations appear in real messages, it’s just as important to know when and how to use them correctly.

These best practices help you get the tone right while keeping messages short and easy to read.

Know Which Abbreviations Fit the Audience

Not every abbreviation works in every conversation. That’s why it’s important to match your shortcuts to your reader.

For internal communication, it’s fine to use quick texting shortcuts like EOD, OOO, or TL;DR, especially when your team already uses them.

But if you're texting a client, prospect, or someone outside your department, it's better to use customer-facing messages like:

• ETA – Estimated time of arrival
• FYI – For your information
• FAQ – Frequently asked questions
• ASAP – As soon as possible
• TAT – Turnaround time

When in doubt, you can use full words. Texting should feel quick, but never rushed or careless in a business setting.

Avoid Stacking Too Many Abbreviations

When abbreviations pile up, your message becomes harder to follow for someone reading quickly or unfamiliar with the terms. The time you saved typing is now spent explaining.

Here’s an example that goes too far:

FYI ETA on TAT is TBD, but will confirm ASAP before EOD.

That line may be technically correct, but it’s exhausting to read.

A clearer version would be:

Just a heads-up — we’re still waiting on an update. I’ll confirm the timing as soon as we hear back, hopefully before the end of the day.

Be Consistent With Formatting

Some shortcuts look more professional in all caps. Others feel too casual when written in lowercase in business texts.

For work-related messages, you need to stick to uppercase formatting for standard terms like EOD, FYI, ASAP, or TBD. This helps them stand out as abbreviations rather than typos.

Example

✔ Let me know if you’ll be OOO next week.
✘ Let me know if you’ll be ooo next week.

In personal messages, lowercase abbreviations like lol, idk, or brb are common and usually fine. But that same tone may feel too informal or lazy in a business setting.

It’s also smart to stay consistent throughout the message. Mixing styles (like ETA, then brb, then TAT) can look messy. Decide on one tone for the message and follow it from start to finish.

Clarify Team-Specific Language

What feels obvious in one team, region, or industry might mean something completely different to someone else.

For example, PT could mean part-time in HR, but a healthcare team might read it as physical therapy.

ETA could be estimated time of arrival in logistics or expected time of answer in customer support.

Even something as common as OOO (out of office) might not be recognized if the recipient isn’t used to business shorthand.

If you're ever unsure, it’s safer to write out the full phrase the first time. You can follow it with the abbreviation in parentheses so it’s clear moving forward.

Example

We’ll review your expected time of arrival (ETA) and schedule accordingly.

Always Review Before Sending

Abbreviations can change meaning fast when autocorrect jumps in or predictive text fills in something you didn’t intend.

Here’s what to check before you hit send:

• Did autocorrect replace the abbreviation?
  For example, TTYL might turn into a contact name or a random phrase.
• Is the message still easy to read?
  Too many acronyms back-to-back? You might want to rephrase.
• Does the abbreviation match the recipient’s context?
  A term like TBC is fine in internal notes, but not always clear in a customer-facing message.

A typo in a casual text might go unnoticed, but in a sales reply, appointment reminder, or customer support message, it could lead to confusion or frustration. 

One wrong acronym can shift the tone of your message or cause delays if the reader doesn’t understand what you meant.

Use Message Previews or Templates for Campaigns

Before launching your SMS campaigns, always test your message to see how it appears on different screen sizes when using abbreviations.

If you’re sending recurring messages like appointment reminders, delivery alerts, or promotions, you can build templates that include approved abbreviations and phrasing. It keeps your branding consistent and speeds up production.

Don’t Use Abbreviations for Sensitive Messages

Messages about cancellations, delays, errors, complaints, billing issues, or anything requiring an apology or confirmation of facts should be written out clearly. In these cases, using abbreviations can make your message feel dismissive.

Example

• Instead of: FYI, your request is denied. LMK if questions.
• Say: We’ve reviewed your request and unfortunately can’t approve it at this time. Please let us know if you have any questions.

Respectful language matters more than brevity. This applies to texts about account issues, cancellations, HR updates, medical details, legal terms, or anything where tone can impact trust.

Automate the Busywork, Keep the Personal Touch—Start Texting With TextUs!

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You can start real conversations with leads, follow up with customers in seconds, and keep every message organized within a shared inbox your whole team can access. 

It's easy to automate reminders, personalize replies, and manage large contact lists while keeping your tone natural and on-brand.

If you’re ready to start messaging with purpose, TextUs is the platform that makes it happen. Book a demo today and make business texting part of your workflow!

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FAQs About the Texting Dictionary

Is there a texting slang dictionary?

Yes. A texting dictionary is a collection of commonly used abbreviations, acronyms, and symbol forms, and shorthand found in text messages, chat apps, and SMS platforms. These terms help people save time by keeping communication fast.

While there’s no single official dictionary, guides like this one, along with resources from texting software, offer a reliable reference for what different shortcuts mean and when to use them.

What does 20 mean in texting?

The number 20 can have a few meanings depending on context. In older CB radio slang, "What's your 20?" means “Where are you?” — with 20 referring to someone’s location. Some people still use it this way in texts.

Example sentence: “Hey, what’s your 20?” → “Where are you?”

In other cases, 20 might just be part of a time (e.g., 6:20), a count, or unrelated to slang. If you're unsure, look at the full message for clues.

What are some text slang words?

Here are a few common text slang words and what they mean:

• BRB – Be right back
• LOL – Laugh out loud
• IDK – I don’t know
• SMH – Shaking my head
• NGL – Not gonna lie
• ICYMI – In case you missed it
• LMK – Let me know
• No cap – Being honest / not lying
• GOAT – Greatest of all time

Text slang changes fast and is part of the newest language trends. It also depends on who you’re talking to.

Friends might use casual phrases like WYD (What are you doing?) or BAE (Before anyone else), while professionals may stick to clean abbreviations like EOD (End of day) or FYI (For your information).