Gaming slang explained: what players actually mean
The everyday language of players, from friendly sign-offs to the words used when things turn sour.
Gaming communities have their own slang, much of it born in fast-moving text and voice chat. Some words are friendly shorthand, some are teasing, and a few describe behaviour that crosses a line. Knowing the difference helps new players fit in and helps parents understand what they overhear.
Everyday shorthand
GG stands for “good game” and is traditionally said at the end of a match. AFK means “away from keyboard”. LFG means “looking for group”, used when finding teammates. A noob is a newcomer, sometimes affectionately and sometimes not. To carry someone is to do most of the work for the team, and a gank is a surprise attack, often by several players on one.
Ways of playing
Grinding means repeating a task to earn rewards, and farming is grinding for a specific resource. Camping is waiting in one spot for opponents to come to you. Save scumming is reloading saves to undo bad outcomes. A mod is fan-made content that changes a game, and an easter egg is a hidden joke or secret left by the developers.
When behaviour goes wrong
Some words describe behaviour that spoils games for others. Toxic covers abuse, harassment and deliberately unpleasant play. Griefing means intentionally ruining other players’ experience, such as destroying their builds. A smurf is an experienced player using a new account to face beginners, and to rage quit is to leave a game angrily mid-match.
Most online games include tools to mute, block and report players, and console and PC platforms add their own controls over who can contact a child. The entries in this section explain each term and, where relevant, how to deal with the behaviour it describes.
Slang also changes quickly. Words drift in from streaming, social media and individual games, and their meaning can shift between communities. If a term is missing here, the surrounding context usually makes its tone clear: friendly, teasing or hostile.
Every community & slang entry
- AFKAFK stands for “away from keyboard” and means a player is temporarily not playing or responding.
- CampingCamping means staying in one spot to ambush opponents or wait for something to appear, rather than moving around the map.
- CarryTo carry is to play so well that you win for your team almost single-handedly, or to help a weaker player through content.
- Easter eggAn Easter egg is a hidden message, joke, reference or secret that developers tuck into a game for players to discover.
- FarmingFarming means repeatedly doing the same activity to collect a specific resource, item or reward.
- GankTo gank is to ambush an opponent, usually by surprise or with more players, so they have little chance to fight back.
- GGGG means “good game”, a quick message players send at the end of a match as a sign of sportsmanship.
- GriefingGriefing is deliberately spoiling the game for other players, for example by destroying their creations or sabotaging their team.
- GrindingGrinding means repeating the same task many times to gain experience, items or currency.
- LFGLFG means “looking for group”: a player or tool searching for others to team up with for an activity.
- ModA mod is a modification made by players that changes or adds to a game, from small tweaks to entire new games.
- NoobA noob is a beginner, though the word is often used as an insult for someone who plays badly.
- Rage-quitTo rage-quit is to leave a game suddenly out of anger or frustration, often mid-match.
- Save scummingSave scumming means repeatedly reloading a save to undo bad outcomes or retry random results until you get the one you want.
- SmurfA smurf is an experienced player using a new or secondary account to play against less skilled opponents.
- ToxicToxic describes hostile, abusive or deliberately unpleasant behaviour from players towards others in a game community.