Humor Web Humor What Does LOL Mean? How to understand and use this internet abbreviation Print Web Humor Memes Holiday Humor By Paul Gil Paul Gil Technology Writer and Developer University of Alberta Northern Alberta Institute of Technology Paul Gil is a tech expert, writer, and educator known for his dynamic internet and database courses and articles. Learn about our Editorial Process Updated on 03/28/21 Reviewed by Michael Barton Heine Jr Reviewed by Michael Barton Heine Jr Michael Heine is a CompTIA-certified writer, editor, and Network Engineer with 25+ years' experience working in the television, defense, ISP, telecommunications, and education industries. Learn about our Editorial Process LOL stands for "laughing out loud." It's one of a few common internet acronyms that convey laughter. Variations on LOL include LOLZ, LML, and LULZ. Other acronyms that denote laughter include ROFL ("rolling on the floor laughing") and ROFLMAO ("rolling on floor, laughing my a** off). LOL is a staple of online conversation culture. LOL and its many similar acronyms are often spelled in uppercase letters, but lowercase spelling is perfectly acceptable and means the same thing. When communicating by text, email, or chat, be careful not to type entire sentences in uppercase letters, as this is considered to be shouting, which is rude. Lifewire / Theresa Chiechi Examples of LOL Usage Example 1: (User 1): My daughter came all the way home to get her backpack, then had a snack and left without it! LOL! (User 2): LOL! Guess the snack was important too! Example 2: (User 1): This is so cute! My cat just stole the dog's bed and now the dog's looking at me like he's saying do something! LOL! User 2): LOL! The cat's the alpha for sure! ROFLMAO Expressions Similar to LOL CTFU ("cracking the f*** up") LOLZ ("laughing out load" plural) LULZ ("laughing out load" plural, variation) LML ("laugh mad loud") ROFL ("rolling on floor") ROFLMAO ("rolling on floor laughing my a** off") LMAO ("laughing my *ss off") ROFLCOPTER ("Rolling on floor, turning like a helicopter") HAHA (laughter) BWAHAHA (maniacal laughter) MWAHAHA (evil laughter) PMSL ("p*ssing myself laughing") Capitalizing and Punctuating Abbreviations Capitalization is a non-concern when using text abbreviations and chat jargon. Use all uppercase (ROFL) or all lowercase (rofl) letters and the meaning is identical. Proper punctuation is similarly a non-concern with most text message abbreviations. For example, "too long, didn't read" can be abbreviated as TL;DR or TLDR. Both are acceptable. Never use periods (dots) between your acronym letters; it would defeat the purpose of being a shortcut. For example, ROFL would never be spelled R.O.F.L., and TTYL would never be T.T.Y.L. Recommended Etiquette for Text Jargon When tempted to use jargon in messages, evaluate who your audience is, if the context is informal or professional, and then use good judgment. If you know someone well and it's a personal and informal communication, then absolutely use abbreviations. On the flip side, if you're just starting a friendship or professional relationship, avoid abbreviations until you've developed a rapport. If you're messaging in a professional context with someone at work, or with a customer or vendor outside your company, avoid abbreviations altogether. Spelling out full words shows professionalism and courtesy. It's much smarter to err on the side of being too professional at first, and then relax your communication over time organically.