What Does LFG Mean? A Definition & How To Use It
LFG is a popular acronym that’s made its way into our online vernacular. But what is LFG, and what does LFG mean? In this guide, we’ll explore the different meanings of LFG and dive into its history and uses.
The internet. It is chock-full of acronyms and slang. Some of them are pretty self-explanatory, like NSFW, while others are very bizarre – we’re looking at you XOXO.
One of the more popular – and rather confusing – acronyms doing the rounds at the moment is LFG. You’ll come across it quite a lot on Twitter and Reddit. But what does LFG mean? Let’s find out…
What is LFG: The Two Main Meanings
LFG stands for “Looking For Group” and “Let’s F*cking Go” or “Let’s Freaking Go.” These two meanings, while quite distinct, are both widely used across various online platforms.
LFG: Looking For Group
The primary meaning of LFG is “looking for group,” which is an appeal for like-minded individuals to join together online. This usage is most commonly associated with online multiplayer games, particularly massive multiplayer online (MMO) games. However, the meaning has expanded to include other niches and online platforms such as Twitch, Facebook, and Twitter.
LFG is also used in non-gaming contexts. For example, someone looking for a plant-based diet group might post “just gone 100% plant-based, LFG” on Reddit or Twitter, hoping to receive suggestions for relevant online communities.
LFG: Let’s F*cking Go or Let’s Freaking Go
The second meaning of LFG, “let’s f*cking go” or “let’s freaking go,” emerged around 2010 from US college fraternities’ party culture. This version of LFG is used to hype up a situation, motivate someone, or express excitement about an upcoming event or challenge. The US women’s national soccer team even adopted it as their slogan for the 2019 FIFA World Cup.
The context of the message typically reveals which meaning of LFG is being used. For instance, a motivational message before a big job interview might say, “You’re going to nail this interview. LFG!” Alternatively, someone posting about a half-marathon they’re participating in could caption their post with “Doing a half-marathon today. LFG!”
LFG (Most of The Time) Means “Looking For Group”
LFG is a versatile acronym that has gained popularity through its use in both gaming and non-gaming contexts. With meanings that range from “looking for group” to “let’s freaking go,” LFG has become an essential part of our online lexicon. You’ll see it on Twitter, Reddit, Twitch, Facebook, and inside forums.
Understanding the context of its use is key to deciphering which meaning is intended.
How To Use LFG
For instance, say you’ve recently switched to a plant-based diet and you’re looking to connect with like minded, more experienced people. You could use the power of social media to find such people, simply by tweeting “just switched to plant-based diet, LFG”.
Your message, if it is picked up by anyone, will then generate some suggestions about what the best plant-based diet groups are online, and where you can find them. The most common use for LFG, however, relates to online multiplayer games. If you’re playing a massive multiplayer online game (MMO), you might see messages from other players that are looking to form groups.
For example, a player could be looking to join a group of other players that have certain scores and/or ratings. If you do play MMO games, chances are you will have come across LFG – this is basically where the acronym first became popular.
And because of the popularity of MMO, the acronym has spread to many other platforms and niches online, including social media platforms like Twitch, Facebook, and Twitter.
Let’s F*cking Go – Another Use For LFG
Looking for Group isn’t the only potential meaning of LFG, however. During the past several years, people have started using LFG as an acronym for “let’s f*cking go” and “let’s freaking go” which, of course, is completely different from its original meaning. As with most things, context dictates which type of LFG you’re dealing with.
You’re most likely to come across the Let’s Freaking Go variant of LFG inside messages, both via social media platforms and IM and on social media posts. For instance, you could have an important meeting coming up, one you’re nervous about. A friend might message you the day before and say, you’re going to nail this interview. LFG!
People also like to use LFG when they’re about to do something challenging. If you’re doing a half-marathon, you could post something to social media with the caption: doing a half-marathon today. LFG! Or, if you’re about to watch your favorite band, you could go post a picture and tag it LFG! As you can see, LFG is fairly simple to use and insert into social media posts and messages.
The whole let’s freaking go version of LFG started in and around 2010, born inside the party culture of US college fraternities. Since then, LFG – in the context of Let’s freaking Go – has gone on to become massively popular in all walks of life. The US women’s national soccer team used it as its slogan for the FIFA World Cup in 2019 (which they won).
Essentially, LFG – when used in this context – is all about hyping something up; it could be a person that needs motivation before a big interview, getting a group of people excited about a party, hyping yourself up before a challenge, or even as a slogan for a sports team. As acronyms go, it is one of the most malleable in circulation today.
The History of LFG – Who Invented It?
As with most things related to modern acronyms, LFG started life online but quickly became a mainstay in geek culture. Urban Dictionary says that LFG was first used in 2002 inside the world’s first truly popular MMO, EverQuest.
People playing EverQuest would use LFG in its chat function to find like-minded people they could team up with in guilds and for quests. But seeing that EverQuest launched in 1999, it is entirely possible LFG was used earlier than 2002.
More recently, LFG is become massively associated with online fantasy and sci-fi communities. On Reddit, there’s an entire subreddit dedicated to LFG called r/LFG. In r/LFG, you can quickly find people to team up with for things like Dungeons & Dragons and other popular board games.
Users in this subreddit use it to find groups for online games as well as form groups in local areas. For instance: LFG: Dungeons & Dragons, Bay Area.
Interested in learning more about internet slang and acronyms? Check out our FULL resource center for internet slang and acronyms – it covers and explains all the most popular and exotic acronyms and slang words.
