100 Social Media Abbreviations and Slang You Should Probably Know

By Trae Jacobs,

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Have you ever gone through Instagram and come across a term or abbreviation without knowing the meeting? This situation happens more than you think.

Please continue reading to learn the one hundred most common abbreviations and slang you should know before you log into Instagram.

The Basics

Instagram is a popular social media website, so it’s best to know basic Internet slang before using Instagram frequently.

The following are some of the most common acronyms and phrases you’ll run across while you scroll through Instagram, no matter what type of people you follow.

LOL– Laugh out loud
OMG– Oh my god
IG– I guess/Instagram
FB– Facebook
ASAP– As soon as possible
BRB– Be right back
AFK– Away from the keyboard
SMH– Shake my head
DM– Direct message
LMK– Let me know
ISTG– I swear to god
MSG– message
FYI– For your information
IMO– In my opinion
GN– Good night
GM– Good morning
ASL– Age, sex, location
IDK– I don’t know
NSFW– Not safe for work
NSFL– Not safe for life
FR– For real

All the above are popular acronyms used throughout the Internet, whether in the DMS or scrolling through your feed.

Common Phrases

If you use Instagram without understanding common Internet lingo, you’ll have trouble understanding many posts.

Many people who make Instagram posts use slang without even realizing it because their eyes are accustomed to seeing the following phrases regularly.

Period– Usually added to the end of a rant to punctuate the point
Drip– Cool outfit
Ice– Nice jewelry
Salty– Angry
Spicy– Used to describe someone as angry or to describe NSFW content
Ghosted– Talking to someone and then being ignored abruptly
Lowkey– Subtle
Highkey– Obvious
Bruh– Bro
Cheugy– Description of clothing popular in the 2010s
Rent free– Obsessively thinking about something or someone
Caught in 4k– Bad behavior caught on video or in a photo
F in the chat– To pay respects
Take the L– Accept the loss
Main Character– Being the center of the story or situation
Extra– Being dramatic or doing too much in a situation
No cap– No lies
Cap– You’re lying
Fire– Describes something cool

Most common Internet phrases stem from viral videos or memes.

So, if you missed out on that video or meme, you might have trouble keeping up with your surroundings online.

Acronyms

Acronyms are a shortened way for people to talk online so they don’t spend too long typing.

When people make posts on Instagram, they usually only take a few minutes to write the post, so there are many acronyms. The following are popular acronyms you’ll find on Instagram.

FOMO– Fear of missing out
IKR– I know, right?
TLDR– Too long didn’t read
AMA– Ask me anything
GTG/G2G– Got to go
GG– Good game
IMO– In my opinion
TTYL– Talk to you later
YOLO– You only live once
JK– Just kidding
IMY– I miss you
ILY– I love you
IDC– I don’t care
BAE– Before anyone else
BFFL– Best friends for life
BFF– Best friend forever
BF– Boyfriend
GF– Girlfriend
POV– Point of view
TBH– To be honest
TFW– That feeling when

To navigate Instagram, you need to understand the shortened way people talk about things.

If you memorize the above list of acronyms, you’re off to a great start for searching Instagram without confusion.

Things and People

Instagram has been around for a long time, so there are many Internet things you need to know related to social platforms.

The following is a list of common things you’ll encounter while you search through Instagram to understand what you’re looking at.

Hashtag– A way people search for content
Meme– A funny image with text that’s usually relatable
Influencer– A popular person, usually on Instagram, that people take influence from
Emote– Express emotion dramatically as though you’re in a video game
Redditor– A person who frequents Reddit
Hype beast– An influencer that shows off how much money they have through material items
Tiktoker– Someone who became popular on TikTok
Youtuber– A person who makes videos on YouTube
Viral– A post that gets seen by millions of people, usually referring to a video

So, the next time you hear someone talk about a viral video by a hype beast influencer, you’ll understand what they’re talking about.

Day of the Week Hashtags

People use Instagram to share photos and videos of themselves with their Instagram followers. Some people prefer accomplishing this task on a set schedule.

Posting day-of-the-week hashtags is a popular way of sharing photos and videos with Instagram followers. The following are the most popular day-of-the-week hashtags you’ll encounter on Instagram.

Thirsty Thursday– Posts that involve drinks or drinking on Thursday
Throwback Thursday– Posting an old picture on Thursday for nostalgia
Taco Tuesday– Eating a Taco on Tuesday, especially popular among restaurants
Flashback Friday– Posting an old photo on Friday
Selfie Sunday– Posting a picture of yourself on a Sunday
Man Crush Monday– Posting a picture of a man you find attractive on a Monday
Woman Crush Wednesday– Posting a picture of a woman you find attractive on a Wednesday
Self-care Sunday– Doing relaxing activities on a Sunday
Caturday– Posting your cat on a Saturday
Sunday Funday– Posting a silly picture on a Sunday
Motivation Monday– Posting a motivational image or quote on a Monday
Humpday– The middle of the week or Wednesday
Transformation Tuesday– Posting an old picture next to a new picture on a Tuesday to compare them to each other
Saturday Vibes– Posting whatever you’re doing on a Saturday, typically something fun
Wine Wednesday-Posting a glass or bottle of wine on a Wednesday
TGIF– Being thankful it’s the end of the work week on a Friday
Friyay– Another way of saying TGIF
Monday Mood– Posting a selfie and describing how you feel on a Monday, usually negative because it’s the beginning of the work week.

Now that you know some popular days people like to make certain posts on Instagram, you may be inclined to post your selfie on a Sunday instead of just any day.

Using day-of-the-week hashtags is also a fantastic way to celebrate throughout the week and boost your overall mood.

Popular Category Phrases on Instagram

When you spend more time on Instagram, you’ll find a niche of content you enjoy. However, finding this niche can be hard when you’re brand new to the platform.

The following are popular posts people make on Instagram, so you know how to find the content you like.

Food porn– Pictures of delicious food that you can drool over
Petfluencer– A popular Instagram account dedicated to a pet
Fitspo– pictures posted to inspire others to get fit
Beauty Guru– An influencer that specializes in skincare or makeup
Contests– a promotional posed by an influencer or brand to encourage people to follow the page by offering prizes
Polls– a post that you can vote on to get your opinion on a topic
Product placements– an Instagram post, usually a photo, that shows off the product without directly saying it’s an advertisement.
Lifestyle posts– pictures people post about their lifestyle, usually involving travel
Quotes– popular quotes by celebrities, influencers, or for inspiration.
Reels– short videos you can post on Instagram,similar to TikTok
Stories– a post you can add to Instagram that will only last 24 hours
Behind the scenes– a post by an actor or director that shows the behind-the-scenes of a movie or TV show.
Hobbies– any subcategories that have to do with popular hobbies like cooking, drawing, knitting, etcetera.

Whether you’re interested in a hobby, a fan of a TV show, or looking for motivation to hit the gym, there’s an Instagram demographic crafted for your interest.