TFW is an internet acronym that you’ll usually find on social networking sites and in memes all over the web. But what does TFW mean, where did the acronym come from, and how do you use it?
That Feel When
TFW is an internet acronym that stands for “that feel when.” This acronym is usually accompanied by a funny or emotive picture (like the one featured above), and it’s used to provide emotional context or commentary to a situation.
In a way, TFW is more like a meme than an actual acronym you use in a sentence, like FOMO. It usually follows a strict format, where a sentence beginning with TFW is often (but not always) accompanied by an emotive photo. This sentence can be relevant to your life, like “TFW your bathroom floods,” or it could simply be a joke, like “TFW your friends also know about Pennywise the clown.”
That’s not to say that TFW always follows a strict meme format. On its own, TFW indicates to readers that a message or post contains an emotional context. So, it’s possible for “TFW” to mean something on its own without being accompanied by a picture or messages.
So in some cases, you might reply to a ridiculous or hateful Facebook with a basic “TFW.” People who know what TFW means should understand that you’re saying “this post is absolutely bonkers!” Similarly, you could reply to an unexpected message from an ex with “TFW,” or reply to a funny photo with “TFW.”
Etymology of TFW
Some people swear that TFW actually stands for “that face when.” And in a way, they might be right.
Back in 2009, people on the 4chan music board (called /mu/) started saying “MFW,” or “my face when.” Oddly enough, MFW was used in the same way that TFW is used today. People would post a funny photo of a face along with a sentence like “MFW people call chess a sport.”
Around this same time, the word “feel” developed as slang for the word “feeling.” Memes like “I know that feel bro” started to spread across the internet, and the “Feels Guy” reaction image became a common piece of internet and nerd culture.
Like MFW, the Feels Guy meme was used to respond to emotional situations. But while MFW usually conveyed disgust or awe, the Feels Guy meme was used to describe a feeling of shame, doubt, sadness, or emasculation.
