Gaming Glossary
Quick, simple definitions to help you understand gaming and esports terms with ease.
If you're new to the world of gaming, we've got you covered with all the most commonly used terms, phrases, and lingo that can seem confusing at first. We regularly update this glossary as the gaming world evolves — and if you come across a term we’ve missed, feel free to write to us and we’ll add it in!
AAA (Triple-A) – High-budget, high-profile games produced by major publishers.
ADS (Aim Down Sights) – The action of looking through a weapon’s scope or iron sights.
AFK (Away From Keyboard) – A player is temporarily not present in the game.
Aggro – The attention or hostility of enemy AI or players, often in MMOs.
Alpha – An early testing phase of a game, often with limited features and many bugs.
AOE (Area of Effect) – Abilities or effects that impact multiple targets within a specific area.
Aimbot – A cheating tool that automatically aims at enemies.
Alt – An alternate account or character.
AP – Ability Power (common in MOBAs for magic-based stats).
Battle Pass – A progression system that rewards players with items as they level it up, often seasonal.
Beta – A pre-release version of a game available for testing, more stable than alpha.
Buff – A change or ability that increases a character's or item's effectiveness.
Bot – An AI-controlled player, or slang for a player performing poorly.
Build – A specific set of skills, equipment, and attributes chosen by a player.
Boss – A powerful enemy typically at the end of a level or mission.
BM (Bad Manners) – Disrespectful behavior or taunting in-game.
Bait – A trick to lure enemies into a trap.
BRB – Be Right Back.
Burst – High, fast damage in a short time window.
Backcap – Capturing an objective behind enemy lines (in objective-based games).
Camp/Camping – Staying in one spot to gain an advantage, often seen as unfair.
Cooldown – The waiting time before an ability or item can be used again.
Clan/Guild – A group of players who regularly play together.
Console – A gaming system like PlayStation, Xbox, or Nintendo Switch.
Crossplay – The ability to play with others on different gaming platforms.
Clutch – Winning or surviving a difficult situation, often solo.
CC (Crowd Control) – Effects like stun, freeze, silence that control enemy movement.
CD – Cooldown (time before a skill/item can be reused).
Cracked – Slang for someone performing extremely well.
Carry – A player who leads their team to victory.
Debuff – A negative effect applied to a character or enemy.
DLC (Downloadable Content) – Additional game content released after the initial launch.
DOT (Damage Over Time) – Effects that gradually reduce health.
Drop – Items obtained from enemies or loot crates; also refers to stream giveaways.
DPS (Damage Per Second) – A measurement of how much damage a character can deal.
DC (Disconnect) – When a player drops from the game.
Diff – Short for "difference," e.g. “Jungle diff” means the enemy jungler is better.
Degen – Degenerate; refers to toxic or overly grindy gameplay.
Dry Peek – Looking around a corner without using utility or cover.
Early Access – A game available to the public in a playable, unfinished state.
Easter Egg – Hidden content, jokes, or secrets in a game.
Esports – Competitive gaming at a professional level.
EXP/XP (Experience Points) – Points earned to level up a character.
EZ (Easy) – Used (often rudely) after an easy win.
Eco Round – A round where players save in-game currency.
Engage – Initiating a fight or combat sequence.
End – To throw the game or play poorly in a critical moment.
F2P (Free-to-Play) – Games that are free to download and play, often with in-game purchases.
Farm/Farming – Repeatedly performing tasks to gather resources or XP.
FPS (First-Person Shooter) – A genre where players experience the game through their character’s eyes.
FTW (For The Win) – A phrase expressing excitement or preference for something that wins.
Feed – Dying repeatedly and giving the enemy an advantage.
FF (Forfeit/Fast Forward) – Surrender the match early.
Flick – A quick and precise mouse movement (aiming term).
Full Send – Going all-in with no hesitation.
GG (Good Game) – A phrase of sportsmanship after a match.
Griefing – Deliberately irritating or sabotaging other players.
Grinding – Performing repetitive tasks to progress or level up.
Gacha – A monetization system where players randomly obtain items or characters.
GLHF – Good Luck, Have Fun (common at match start).
GGEZ – Good Game, Easy (often toxic).
Giga Chad – A confident, dominant player.
Ghosting – Watching a livestream to gain unfair in-game info.
HUD (Heads-Up Display) – On-screen interface showing key info like health, ammo, etc.
Hitbox – The area where a character or object can be hit or interacted with.
Healer – A player/class whose main role is to restore teammates’ health.
Hardstuck – When a player is stuck at a rank and can't climb.
Heal Bot – A healer who only heals and does little else.
Hardscope – Staying scoped in for a long time with a sniper.
HP – Hit Points (health).
IP (Intellectual Property) – Original game titles, characters, or concepts owned by companies.
Indie Game – A game created by an independent developer or small studio.
Inventory – The system showing what items a player is carrying.
IGL – In-Game Leader (the team strategist).
IRL – In Real Life.
Inv – Short for "invite" to a group, party, or lobby.
ISO – Looking for (“ISO squad” = looking for a team).
Joystick – A physical controller used to move characters or control games.
Juke – Dodging or faking out an opponent.
JK – Just Kidding.
Juke – To fake out an enemy with unexpected movement.
Jebaited – A Twitch emote/slang for getting tricked.
Jungle Diff – A popular MOBA phrase blaming the jungler for team disparity.
K/D Ratio (Kill/Death Ratio) – A stat showing kills divided by deaths.
Killstreak – A number of kills achieved without dying.
KS (Kill Steal) – Taking credit for a kill someone else nearly completed.
Kek – Laughter (originated from WoW Horde chat).
Kit – The set of abilities a character has.
Kiting – Attacking while moving away to avoid damage.
Lag – A delay between a player’s action and the game’s response.
Leaderboard – A ranking system for players based on performance.
Loot – Items collected during gameplay.
Looter Shooter – A genre focused on obtaining better gear through combat.
LFG – Looking for Group.
LUL – Twitch emote, laughter.
Lit – Exciting or awesome moment in-game.
Low – Indicates enemy has low HP (“he’s 1 shot” or “low”).
Meta – The most effective tactics available, often based on current balancing.
MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online) – Games with thousands of players online at once.
MMR (Matchmaking Rating) – A ranking number used to match players of similar skill.
Mod – User-created modification or enhancement of a game.
MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) – A sub-genre of strategy games like League of Legends.
Main – The character or role a player primarily uses.
MP – Mana Points or Magic Power.
Meta Slave – A player who only uses the strongest strategy.
Malding – Mad + Balding, used to tease angry players.
MIA (Missing In Action) – Opponent is missing from lane/area.
Nerf – A reduction in power or effectiveness of a game element.
NPC (Non-Playable Character) – A character controlled by the game’s AI.
Noob/Newb – A beginner or inexperienced player, often used pejoratively.
NT (Nice Try) – A polite encouragement after a failed attempt.
NA Aim – A joke about poor aiming, referencing North America.
Nade – Grenade.
OP (Overpowered) – A character or item considered too strong.
Open World – A game design where players can explore a large area freely.
OG – Original Gangster; a veteran or longtime player.
Oneshot – To kill an enemy in a single hit.
Overpeek – Peeking too aggressively and dying for it.
OTS – Over the Shoulder camera perspective.
Party – A group of players teaming up for cooperative play.
Patch – An update fixing bugs or adding content.
Ping – Network latency measured in milliseconds.
PvE (Player vs Environment) – Players vs computer-controlled elements.
PvP (Player vs Player) – Players competing directly against each other.
Peeking – Looking around corners to scout or shoot.
Pog / Poggers – Excited reaction to a cool moment (Twitch slang).
Pro Strats – High-level tactics.
Pot – Potion, usually for health or mana.
Pick – Eliminating a key enemy (e.g. “we got a pick!”).
QoL (Quality of Life) – Features that improve user experience without changing gameplay.
Quest – A task or mission given to the player.
Queue Dodge – Leaving matchmaking before a game starts.
Quickscope – Scoping and firing in one quick motion.
QSS – Quicksilver Sash, a common item in LoL; also slang for cleansing items.
Rage Quit – Leaving a game abruptly due to frustration.
Respawn – Returning to the game after dying.
RNG (Random Number Generator) – Systems that use chance to determine outcomes.
RTS (Real-Time Strategy) – A genre where players manage resources and units in real-time.
Roam – Moving out of your assigned lane to help others.
Rage Quit – Leaving a game due to anger.
Reset – Returning to base or waiting for enemies to respawn.
Rank Up/Down – Moving up or down in competitive tiers.
Sandbox – A game with open-ended, non-linear play.
Skin – Cosmetic changes to a character or item.
Speedrun – Completing a game or section as fast as possible.
Streamer – A person who broadcasts their gameplay online.
Support – A player/class focused on aiding teammates.
Sweaty – Playing super tryhard or facing tough competition.
Smurf – A high-ranked player using a low-ranked account.
Skill Issue – Sarcastic remark blaming poor performance on lack of skill.
Stickies – Sticky grenades or bombs.
Squad Wipe – Eliminating an entire enemy team.
Tank – A player/class that absorbs damage and protects teammates.
Toxic – A player with negative or hostile behavior.
Troll – Someone who intentionally disrupts or annoys others in-game.
Turn-Based – A gameplay style where players take turns to act.
Toxic – Verbally abusive or negative behavior.
Tilted – Emotionally thrown off, playing worse after getting upset.
TP (Teleport) – A fast travel ability.
TTK (Time To Kill) – How fast a weapon or character can kill.
UI (User Interface) – All on-screen elements for player interaction.
Ultimate (Ult) – A powerful ability with a long cooldown, often game-changing.
Untagged – Enemy not hit or damaged yet.
Upset – An underdog victory in competitive gaming.
VR (Virtual Reality) – Games played using headsets for an immersive experience.
Voice Chat – Communication via microphone during gameplay.
Vault – A place to store gear or currency.
VOD – Video on Demand, used to rewatch a livestream or match.
Vibe Check – A joking reference to team energy or momentum.
Wallhack – A cheat allowing players to see through walls.
Wave – A set of enemies appearing in succession, often in survival modes.
Win Rate – The percentage of matches a player wins.
Wombo Combo – Multiple abilities used in perfect synergy.
Wallbang – Shooting through walls.
W – A win.
Washed – A player who used to be good but has lost form.
XP (Experience Points) – Used to level up or unlock abilities in a game.
XP Farm – Repeating a spot to level up fast.
XRAY – A cheat or mode that shows players through walls.
Y-axis Inversion – A setting where up/down camera control is reversed.
Yolo (You Only Live Once) – Used to justify risky in-game decisions.
Yeet – To throw something recklessly or dramatically.
Yank – Pulling a teammate/enemy with an ability.
Yikes – Used in response to awkward or failed moments.
Zoning – Controlling space to limit enemy movement, common in fighting games.
Zerg Rush – Overwhelming an opponent with sheer numbers.
Zoomer Strat – A fast-paced, aggressive tactic.
Zed’s Dead – Slang in some FPS games when an enemy has been eliminated.
Zone – To keep enemies out of an area using pressure or presence.