Gaming terms range from quick chat abbreviations to names for mechanics and competitive tactics. Here are 35 common ones, with plain-English meanings and examples. Usage can vary by game and community, so treat examples as context rather than universal rules.
Chat and community shorthand
1. AFK
Type: abbreviation. “Away from keyboard” means temporarily unavailable or inactive, even when someone is playing on a console or phone. Example: “AFK for a minute—back soon.”
2. BRB
Type: abbreviation. “Be right back” tells teammates you expect to return shortly. Example: “BRB, grabbing water.”
3. GG
Type: abbreviation. “Good game” is commonly used to acknowledge a match, often at the end. Depending on tone and timing, it can be sincere or sarcastic. Example: “GG, that last round was close.”
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4. GG EZ
Type: chat slang. Short for “good game, easy,” this is usually a taunt suggesting the match was effortless. Example: “They typed ‘GG EZ’ after winning.”
5. GLHF
Type: abbreviation. “Good luck, have fun” is a sportsmanlike greeting sent before a match. Example: “GLHF everyone!”
6. Noob / newbie
Type: community slang. A newbie is a newcomer or inexperienced player. “Noob” can mean the same thing, but is also often used as an insult. Example: “I’m a newbie, so I’m still learning the map.”
7. Queue
Type: gameplay and matchmaking term. To queue is to enter matchmaking and wait to be placed into a game. Example: “Queue up when you’re ready.”
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8. Rage quit
Type: community slang. To quit abruptly out of frustration, usually before a match or session is finished. Example: “He rage quit after losing the final round.”
9. Salty
Type: community slang. Upset or resentful about a loss, an opponent, or an in-game event. Example: “She was salty about the lucky final hit.”
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10. Toxic
Type: community slang. Describes hostile or abusive behavior in a game community, such as repeated insults or harassment. Example: “The chat got toxic after the match.”
Gameplay, characters, and mechanics
11. Aggro
Type: gameplay term. Short for aggression; it often describes which player or character an enemy is targeting. The exact mechanics depend on the game. Example: “The tank took aggro while the team attacked.”
12. AOE
Type: abbreviation. “Area of effect” describes an attack, ability, or item that affects an area rather than just one target. Example: “Move out of the AOE before it lands.”
13. Buff
Type: gameplay term. A change that makes a character, weapon, or other game element stronger; it commonly refers to a developer update. Example: “The latest update buffed that character’s ability.”
14. Bot
Type: gameplay term. A player controlled by the game, rather than a human; in some contexts “bot” can also be an insult implying poor play. Example: “We practiced against bots before joining matchmaking.”
15. Cooldown
Type: gameplay term. The time a player must wait before using an ability or item again. Example: “My healing ability is still on cooldown.”
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16. DPS
Type: abbreviation. “Damage per second” describes damage dealt over time. In some games, players also use DPS to mean a damage-focused character or role. Example: “Our DPS focused on the boss.”
17. Farming
Type: gameplay term. Repeatedly defeating enemies or completing activities to collect resources, experience, or items. Example: “I’m farming materials before the next mission.”
18. Griefing
Type: community and gameplay term. Deliberately disrupting other players’ experience, often by sabotaging teammates or interfering with play. Example: “Blocking the doorway to trap teammates can count as griefing.”
19. Healing
Type: gameplay term. Restoring health to a character, either through an ability, item, or other game mechanic. Example: “Wait for healing before pushing forward.”
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20. Loot
Type: gameplay term. Items collected during or after play, such as equipment, currency, or supplies. Example: “Check the room for loot before we leave.”
21. Meta
Type: gameplay and competitive term. The strategies, characters, or equipment considered especially effective in a particular game and period. The meta can change after updates or as players adapt. Example: “That character is popular in the current meta.”
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22. Nerf
Type: gameplay term. A change that makes a character, weapon, or other game element less effective, commonly in a developer update. Example: “The patch nerfed the weapon’s damage.”
23. NPC
Type: abbreviation. “Non-player character” means a character controlled by the game rather than another player. Example: “Talk to the NPC near the entrance to start the quest.”
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24. Respawn
Type: gameplay term. To return to the game after being eliminated or killed. Where and when a player returns varies by game. Example: “I’ll respawn at the team’s base.”
25. RNG
Type: abbreviation. “Random number generation” refers to chance-driven outcomes, such as which item appears or whether an attack succeeds. Example: “That rare drop depends on RNG.”
26. Tank
Type: gameplay role. A character or player built to absorb damage or draw enemy attention so teammates can take other roles. Not every game uses the role in the same way. Example: “The tank held the enemy’s attention.”
27. XP
Type: abbreviation. “Experience points” are rewards that often contribute to leveling up or unlocking progress. Example: “That mission gives extra XP.”
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Competitive play and technical terms
28. Clutch
Type: competitive slang. A clutch play is a high-pressure success that turns around or saves a difficult situation. Example: “She clutched the round after her teammates were eliminated.”
29. FPS
Type: abbreviation with two common meanings. It can mean first-person shooter, a game genre viewed through the character’s perspective, or frames per second, a measure of how many images a game displays each second. Context tells you which meaning applies. Example: “That FPS runs at 60 FPS” uses both meanings: the first is the genre, the second the frame rate.
30. Hitbox
Type: gameplay and technical term. The area the game treats as a character or object for detecting hits and collisions. It may not exactly match the visible model. Example: “The attack missed because the opponent’s hitbox was out of range.”
31. K/D
Type: abbreviation. “Kill/death ratio” compares a player’s eliminations with their deaths in games that track those statistics. Example: “His K/D improved after he played more cautiously.”
32. Ping
Type: technical term. A measure associated with the time it takes data to travel between a player and a game server. Higher latency can make play feel less responsive. Example: “My ping spiked, so my actions registered late.”
33. Spawn camp
Type: gameplay slang. To wait near an opponent’s respawn point and attack as they return. Whether a game discourages or permits it depends on its rules and design. Example: “The team tried to spawn camp the opposing side.”
34. Strat
Type: competitive slang. Short for strategy: a planned approach to a match, round, or objective. Example: “Let’s use the same strat as last round.”
35. Wipe
Type: gameplay and competitive term. Depending on the game, it can mean an entire team or group has been eliminated, or that a party has failed and must restart an encounter. Example: “The squad got wiped before reaching the objective.”
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- Check the setting: A word in match chat may be shorthand, while the same word in a patch discussion may refer to a mechanic or balance change.
- Look for more than one expansion: FPS can mean a genre or a frame-rate measure; surrounding words usually make the intended meaning clear.
- Pay attention to tone: GG may be gracious, while GG EZ is generally taunting; “noob” can describe inexperience or be used to insult someone.
- Expect game-specific usage: Roles, respawn rules, enemy behavior, and mechanics differ. If a definition seems not to fit, the game’s own rules or community context may clarify it.
For additional reference, PlayStation’s gaming glossary covers common gaming language (PlayStation gaming glossary); the British Esports Federation explains competitive jargon (competitive gaming jargon); and the European Commission-hosted esports glossary provides another reference (esports glossary).
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