OP

OP stands for “overpowered”: a character, weapon, ability or player so strong it feels unfair. It’s usually followed by a demand that the developers fix it, as in the classic “OP pls nerf.”

What it means

Calling something OP means it’s too good for its cost. It wins fights it shouldn’t, everyone starts using it, and the rest of the game feels pointless until a patch brings it down. The opposite, used much less often, is UP for underpowered.

OP can describe a person, too. “She’s OP at this game” is a compliment. Outside games, it shows up in anime and sports talk for a character or athlete who seems impossible to beat.

Examples

• “That new sword is so OP. One hit and you’re dead.”
• “OP, pls nerf.” (said by everyone who just lost to it)
• “Messi in his prime was OP.”

Where it came from

It’s an abbreviation of “overpowered,” a gamer term for a character’s abilities or weapons that TODAY.com notes teens and tweens now use too. No one has pinned down the first use. The standard dictionaries define “overpowered” for things like engines with more power than they need, but not yet the gaming sense.

The other OP: original poster

On Reddit and forums, OP means the original poster, the person who started the thread: “OP, update us!” You can usually tell which one someone means from context. If it’s about a game, it’s overpowered. If it’s about a post, it’s the person who wrote it.

Related terms

• nerf: a patch that weakens something OP
• buff: a change that makes something stronger
• meta: the strategies everyone currently uses
• cracked: extremely skilled
• cheese: a cheap way to win

See more terms like this in our gaming slang dictionary.