Have you been wondering what LMAO means when you see it in text messages and online? Are you wondering how to pronounce it IRL? Wonder no more with this handy guide from the Word Counter!
What Does the Acronym LMAO Mean?
The acronym LMAO stands for “laughing my ass off.” LMAO probably comes from LOL, an internet slang term that stands for “laughing out loud.” LMAO is a heightened version of LOL, and it is used to react to something that is very funny.
LMAO and LOL are often used on social media sites like TikTok, Twitter, Whatsapp, Facebook, Instagram, and more, similar to slang terms like JK, leet, WTF, TTYL, THX, noob, LML, and TIA.
Message boards, chat rooms, and instant messaging spurred the beginning of internet slang acronyms in the 1990s alongside the invention of text messaging. Thanks to the numeric keyboard and message character limits, texts had physical limitations, so people used abbreviations to circumvent this. You can write LMAO in either uppercase or lowercase.
Internet slang terms and chat speak are often used alongside emojis as well. Emojis can be very useful in expressing emotion quickly and are often used with slang abbreviations. Emojis used to be known as emoticons and were formed by typing out different keys to make symbols. Nowadays, most people do not use emoticons but opt for emojis instead.
What Else Can LMAO Stand For?
The Free Dictionary states that LMAO can stand for much more than just laughing my ass off. However, one should be aware that people will likely assume that LMAO stands for laughing my ass off when it’s used in a sentence.
If you are not planning to use LMAO to mean laughing my ass off, it might be a better idea to use the full form of one of these other potential definitions to avoid offense or confusion:
- Laughing My Anxiety Off
- Laughing My Arms Off
- Lick Me All Over
- Land Mail Art Objects
- Leave Me Alone Ode
- Laughing My Ankles Off
- Let Me Ask Obama
- Living My Adventism Out (est. 2008)
- Leave Me Alone, Okay?
- Let’s Marvel At Owls (comedian Bill Bailey)
- Love My Apple Orchard
- Laughing My Arse Off
- Laughing My Apples Off
- Laughing My Arteries Out!
- Lamenting My Anguish Online
- Low Mall Area Outside
How Can the Acronym LMAO Be Used in a Sentence?
You can use LMAO in many different casual sentences in the English language. While it is not appropriate to use this term in formal or professional settings, it is often used in text messages and on social media.
If you’re casually chatting with your friends, LMAO might be the perfect acronym for a funny situation. Take a look at the below examples to learn how to use LMAO appropriately in a sentence.
In this first example, two people are talking about something that happened in class that day. Person One was in class, but Person Two was out sick:
Person One: OMG, I can’t believe you were out sick today. We did the funniest experiment in science class today.
Person Two: Ugh, I’m so sad I missed it! What happened?
Person One: Let’s just say it ended with our teacher in a dunk tank.
Person Two: LMAO! I hope someone got it on video.
In this example, Person Two reacts with LMAO because they think the idea of the teacher being at the bottom of a dunk tank is funny.
In this next example, two people are talking about their day:
Person One: How was your day today?
Person Two: Practically a comedy of errors. I was running late for work, so I stopped in the office kitchen for a coffee. Machine is broken. I try and fix it; it sprays me all over with coffee. I go to grab my backup shirt, nowhere to be found. So, I go all the way home to grab a new shirt just in time for my first meeting and… it gets canceled.
Person One: LMAO, I’m sorry, mom!
What Are Synonyms for the Acronym LMAO?
If you are trying to say that you are laughing but you are in a situation in which it is inappropriate to use the term LMAO, you can opt to use a synonym of LMAO instead. Take a look at this list of synonyms for LMAO from Thesaurus and see how many you know.
- roar
- die laughing
- shriek
- burst
- chuckle
- scream
- snort
- whoop
- split one’s sides
- haha
- chortle
- guffaw
- cachinnate
- LMBO – Laughing My Butt Off
- snicker
- ROFLMAO – Rolling on Floor, Laughing My A** Off
- convulsed
- fracture
- LMFAO – Laughing My F****** A** Off
- with sound be in stitches
- crow
- roll in the aisles
- giggle
- grin
- crack up
- titter
- howl
- ROFL – Rolling on Floor Laughing
- LOL – Laughing Out Loud
- break up
Is the Abbreviation LMAO Casual or Formal?
The abbreviation LMAO is a very casual word and should never be used in professional or formal settings. It would be inappropriate to use this abbreviation in a business email, a formal letter, or an invitation, especially because it contains vulgarity.
It is safe to assume that if another internet slang term like LOL, OMG, or BRB would be considered too informal for the situation, it would also be inappropriate to use LMAO.
Conclusion
Overall, the abbreviation LMAO means laughing my ass off. This is a very casual phrase that is considered internet slang and should be reserved for use in very casual settings. It is inappropriate to use the acronym LMAO or other internet slang terms in formal or professional situations like a business email.
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Kevin Miller is a growth marketer with an extensive background in Search Engine Optimization, paid acquisition and email marketing. He is also an online editor and writer based out of Los Angeles, CA. He studied at Georgetown University, worked at Google and became infatuated with English Grammar and for years has been diving into the language, demystifying the do's and don'ts for all who share the same passion! He can be found online here.
