afk

What it means

Short for "away from keyboard," meaning you're stepping away from your device or game and won't respond for a bit. Originally gamer and chat lingo, it now signals being temporarily unavailable online.

Examples

• brb afk, someone's at the door.
• He went afk mid-match and we lost, thanks man.
• I'll be afk for an hour, ping me if it's urgent.
• Sorry I was afk, what did I miss?

Where it comes from

Originated in early internet chat rooms, IRC, and multiplayer gaming in the 1990s as a quick way to flag a temporary absence to other users.

Related slang