As Instagram becomes more widely used, its effects on people’s daily lives also grow tremendously. These effects are much more visible in our lifestyle, advertising methods, education, culture, and more. In addition to these effects, the app also changed how we speak both online and in real life thanks to Instagram slang.
Even if you have a personal account on Instagram, you definitely come across its somewhat unique slang. To improve your communication skills on the app, also in real life, you should get familiar with its slang. Keep on reading our article to learn its abbreviations, user slang, and more.
How to Speak Instagram
There are many Instagram abbreviations that its users frequently use for various situations. Some of them in this list are also used on different platforms over the internet, while others are unique to Instagram, such as its special hashtags. They are also useful to know while sharing posts or promoting a business. Now let’s see the almost all commonly used Instagram slang words:
IG
IG is the short-form of Instagram.
DM
DM stands for the “direct message.” A DM is a private message you can send to another Instagram user.
#TBT
Throwback Thursday, the #TBT, is used while sharing an old photo from the past. It is a way to cherish the good old times from your childhood or a recent fun trip.
AMA
AMA stands for “Ask Me Anything.” Celebrities typically use the abbreviation on Instagram live streams or interviews.
NSFW
NSFW, not safe for work, typically means that the content includes explicit or violent content.
TLDR
TLDR is the short form of saying, “too long, didn’t read.” The term is used to criticize the poster for writing too long. However, today “TLDR” is also being used as an abbreviation that contains the summary of long texts.
ELI5
ELI5 stands for “explain like I’m 5”. It is a gentle way to ask someone to describe what they mean by using the simplest terms.
#POTD
Instagram users share the day’s best photo with the hashtag #POTD, which stands for “photo of the day.”
#OOTD
OOTD, outfit of the day, is a hashtag to use while sharing today’s outfit on Instagram.
#F4F
Instagram users add the #F4F hashtag to their posts for follow backs.
#L4L
Similar to #F4F, #L4L stands for likes.
#FBF
Similar to #TBT, the hashtag #FBF stands for Flashback Friday. Instagram users add this hashtag when they share their old photos.
#NoFilter
The #NoFilter hashtag is usually used when a post doesn’t have any Instagram filters.
#TransformationTuesday
#Transformation Tuesday is a dedicated day of the week to motivate people to lose weight and live healthier lives.
#Repost
The #Repost tag is added on Instagram posts or stories if another user reposts the content.
#FF
#FF is a tag to use to remind other users to follow your Instagram account.
FTFY
FTFY fixed that for you, which is commonly used by Instagram users to correct another user.
GOAT
GOAT stands for “greatest of all time.” GOAT is typically used to describe an athlete with remarkable achievements.
TIL
TIL is the short form of the “today I learned.” Instagram and other internet users use it to share interesting stuff they’ve learned during the day.
LMAO
LMAO, laughing my *** off is an informal way to inform other users that you laugh hysterically or just being cynical.
YOLO
YOLO, you only live once, is a popular slang that is used all over the internet. It became a motto to describe risky situations and interesting moments. Instagram users also use it when someone does something crazy.
AFAIK
AFAIK is the short form of saying “as far as I know.”
BTS
BTS is used to describe “behind the scenes.” It is typically used with a hashtag.
ICYMI
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ICYMI is the short form of saying, “in case you missed it.”
MFW
MFW, my face when is a common internet forum abbreviation that is also popular on Instagram. Users share a photo that best describes their reaction to a particular situation or event.
ST
ST stands for “something.”
TM
TM is the abbreviation of “text message.”
IMHO
IMHO stands for “in my honest opinion.”
IRL
IRL is the short form of “in real life.”
LOL
LOL is the ages-old way to laugh on the internet. It stands for “laughing out loud”.
TBH
TBH is a short way to say “to be honest.”
Fam
Fam, the family, is typically used to describe a group of close friends, collaborators, or like-minded users.
Instagram Slang in Short
Similar to other web sites and social media platforms, Instagram also has its own slang. While some of them are somewhat exclusive to the platform, most of them are also in use worldwide. In this article, we listed all common Instagram slang words, abbreviations, and hashtags. If Instagram culture interests you then you might look into our compilation of funny Instagram bios.