NGL

What it means

NGL stands for 'not gonna lie.' Like TBH, it introduces a candid admission — often a mild confession or an opinion you expect might be unpopular. It adds a tone of frankness and self-awareness.

Words like “NGL” are exactly the kind of vocabulary our English vocabulary size test measures — find out how many English words you know.

Examples

• NGL, I cried at the ending.
• ngl that was harder than I expected.
• NGL, your cooking has really improved.
• I skipped the gym again, ngl.

Where it comes from

A texting initialism that rose with social media, closely related to TBH as a marker of honesty.

Related abbreviations