initialism🔤 abbreviation
AFK
away from keyboard
What it means
AFK stands for 'away from keyboard.' It tells others in a chat or game that you've stepped away and aren't at your computer. It's the gaming cousin of BRB, and 'going AFK' means taking a short break.
Words like “AFK” are exactly the kind of vocabulary our English vocabulary size test measures — find out how many English words you know.
Examples
- I'll be AFK for ten minutes — cover for me.
- He went AFK in the middle of the raid.
- Sorry, was AFK making dinner.
- Type AFK if you need a break.
Where it comes from
An initialism from online gaming and chat rooms, distinguishing 'away from keyboard' from simply being offline.
Related abbreviations
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