Gaming has its own language. Some of it stays in voice chat, but a lot of it ends up in everyday conversation. This guide explains the gaming slang you are most likely to hear, what each term actually means, and how people use it. Open any term for the full entry, with examples and where the word came from.

Chat and match etiquette

• GG: “good game,” typed at the end of a match. It can also mean “it’s over.”
• AFK: “away from keyboard,” for stepping away or a player who has gone idle.
• noob: a beginner, or someone who plays like one.
• git gud: a mocking “get good,” telling someone to stop complaining and improve.

Skill and playstyle

• cracked: extremely skilled, almost unfairly good.
• sweaty: playing with intense effort, even in casual matches.
• try-hard: trying way too hard, in games or anywhere else.
• cheese: winning with a cheap trick or exploit.
• speedrun: finishing a game as fast as possible.

Frustration and tilt

• malding: getting comically angry, from “mad” plus “balding.”
• rage quit: quitting suddenly and angrily, often mid-match.
• laggy: slow to respond because of network delay.
• toxic: hostile behavior that ruins the game for everyone else.
• diff: as in “jungle diff”: blaming a loss on one player being outclassed.

Game terms that went mainstream

• nerf: to make something weaker, usually in a game update.
• NPC: a non-player character, and an insult for someone acting on autopilot.
• side quest: an optional mission, and any detour from your real plans.
• main quest: the core storyline, and in real life, your actual priorities.
• level up: to reach the next level, or to improve at anything.

Balance and patches

• meta: the strategies and picks that currently work best.
• buff: a change that makes something stronger.
• OP: overpowered, usually right before it gets nerfed.

Winning, losing and trash talk

• GLHF: “good luck, have fun,” typed at the start of a match.
• EZ: “easy,” a cocky thing to type after a win. Usually taken as rude.
• rekt: “wrecked”: badly beaten.
• pwned: “owned,” spelled the old-school way. Beaten or embarrassed.
• clutch: coming through under pressure, often when the round looks lost.
• hard carry: one player winning the game for the whole team.

Twitch and streaming

• Kappa: the Twitch emote for sarcasm or “just kidding.”
• poggers: Twitch chat for hype and excitement, often shortened to “pog.”
• backseat gamer: someone who keeps telling the player what to do.
• pog: Twitch chat for “let’s go!”
• clip it: save that moment from the stream.

Tactics people complain about

• camping: waiting in one spot to ambush other players.
• smurf: a skilled player on a new account, beating beginners.
• pay-to-win: a game where spending money buys a real advantage.
• griefing: ruining the game for others on purpose.

Why gaming slang spreads

Most of these words started in chat boxes and voice channels, then traveled through streams, clips and memes. That is why people call a disappointing update a nerf or a pointless errand a side quest, even if they have never played the game the term came from.

We add new entries to this page as they are published.