What Does "AFK" Mean?
What "AFK" Really Means
AFK stands for "Away From Keyboard" and has been gaming and internet slang since the early days of chat rooms and multiplayer games. It signals that a person is temporarily unavailable — stepped away from their device or paused their activity. In games it means a player has stopped playing but is still connected. In everyday conversation it loosely means "I'm not around right now." Extended AFK in games is usually considered poor behavior and can lead to getting kicked from matches.
Origin & History
Early internet and multiplayer gaming, late 1990s.
Tone & Context
This slang is generally considered neutral in tone. Gaming, online chat, casual messaging. Very widely understood.
Example Sentences
- "I'll be AFK for 10 minutes — bathroom break."
- "He went AFK in the middle of the match and we lost."
- "Sorry I didn't reply, I was AFK all afternoon."
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Browse our full Gaming Slang dictionary for more terms, or check the complete slang glossary.