The above article may contain affiliate links, which help support How-To Geek. In most situations, TBH is used as a direct abbreviation for “to be honest.” It’s an initialism that gained traction in the late 90s or early 2000s, and its origins are closely associated with internet forums, internet relay chat (IRC), and text-message culture. ". You’ve probably seen people throwing around the phrase “TBH,” but what does it mean? Eventually, the term fell out of popularity but it is stilled used by some. Text Messaging TBH abbreviation meaning defined here. Facebook must have noticed the trend, as the company purchased a question-answer app called TBH in 2017. TBH is typically used to express an honest opinion about a topic or situation ("to be honest") but can also be used to show appreciation ("to be heard") on social media sites like Instagram. User 2: TBH, refugees would be good for our community. Since we launched in 2006, our articles have been read more than 1 billion times. By submitting your email, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. TBH, you’re my best friend. It is often used when someone is trying to be frank while discussing an uncomfortable or controversial topic. Get the top TBH abbreviation related to Chat. Oh well, at least “to be honest” actually makes sense. However, they may not understand that some acronyms are hurtful. Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day, What to do if you or someone you love is being bullied online. There’s even a genre of social media posts called “TBH posts” where kids ask for their blunt opinions of each other. Examples: NFL, NASA, PSP, HIPAA,random Word(s) in meaning: chat "global warming" Postal codes: USA: 81657, Canada: T5A 0A7 What does TBH stand for? These opinions are usually meant to be complimentary or humorous, but they can also be intentionally hurtful or abusive (these are teenagers we’re talking about, after all). User 1: How can we possibly take in all these refugees? TBH definition. Just keep in mind that most people use TBH at the beginning or end of a sentence. Join 350,000 subscribers and get a daily digest of news, geek trivia, and our feature articles. How to Set Different Time Zones in Google Calendar, How to Use Linked Text to Update Multiple Word Documents, How to Automatically Hide or Show the Menu Bar on a Mac, How to Choose Which Extensions Appear on the Firefox Toolbar, © 2020 LifeSavvy Media. Well, TBH lives a secret life among teenagers. TBH began as the acronym for "to be honest" and was later duplicated to mean "to be heard." It’s occasionally used in the middle of a sentence, but only as a preposition for an independent clause. If someone wants to be candid about an opinion, they could say “TBH, I hate video games.” Of course, TBH can also be used as a tool for bluntness, flattery, or insult. Perhaps because of the increased awareness of online bullying, TBH has fallen out of the top 50 trending internet slang terms. I know I’m always talking about my muscles, but I’m actually pretty weak, TBH. Join 350,000 subscribers and get a daily digest of news, comics, trivia, reviews, and more. However, TBH has become so common on social-media platforms like Facebook and in chat rooms, its meaning has now been diluted. Used in a post asking for likes that says "like for a tbh", Used to promise replies, such as "Reply to my picture for a tbh. It’s safe to assume the phrase (along with phrases like “TBH for TBH”) began cropping up on websites like Facebook and Tumblr around 2010. What It Means When Friends Put 'LMS' in Their Facebook Statuses, The Meaning of 'OP' in Online Conversation, AF Meaning: What It Stands for on Social Media. If you see any texts that are suggestive or of a bullying nature, discuss the potential harm honestly with your child. What can parents do? Just because they have the tech skills to communicate online doesn't mean they have the maturity to handle every situation they encounter. TBH is a direct abbreviation for the phrase “to be honest.” In most situations, you can just use the word “TBH” wherever you might actually say “to be honest” in a sentence. The teenage definition of TBH (to be heard) has a similarly vague history. the intent is complimentary. This expression has been around for quite a while, but its meaning has changed somewhat over time. It took on a complementary meaning, and the acronym itself became a positive comment to show the someone's opinion was heard ('to be heard' translates to TBH in those cases). Online Chat Web Forums. All Rights Reserved. In particular, it was used to solicit likes on Instagram, for example: As a result, depending on context, TBH can be critical or complimentary. Some kids understand TBH as an abbreviation for “to be heard”—a catchall term for social interactions that are confessional in nature. Like a jack-of-all-trades, he handles the writing and image editing for a mess of tech news articles, daily deals, product reviews, and complicated explainers. It has lost traction on Google Trends, it hasn’t appeared in any Business magazines, and Instagram’s Story Stickers have effectively streamlined the process of asking your friends for a TBH. What does TBH stand for in Chat? In other words, TBH was used to protect the author of an overly candid statement by serving as a caveat with the meaning "I'm only telling you this because I am being truthful." Teenagers might say “like this post for a TBH,” or “TBH for TBH” with the intention of handing out (or receiving) blunt opinions. Procedure of dating on instagram is not a hectare task. As we mentioned earlier, TBH (to be honest) became a common phrase during the late 90s or early 2000s. Our city can barely take care of its population now. TBH, it’s nice to know where these pieces of culture came from, even if you don’t plan to use them in your everyday life. In a way, I’m personally bummed we’re ditching “to be heard.” I think it’s an interesting phrase that points out how things that are “real” or “candid” are often used as a currency for attention online. Remind your kids that words can hurt. I’m pretty hungry, but TBH, I’m always pretty hungry. How-To Geek is where you turn when you want experts to explain technology. Auch in sozialen Netzwerken nutzen User „TBH“, um ihre Gedanken auszudrücken. For young children, it makes sense to monitor their communications. Last Updated: August 20, 2014. Get the top TBH abbreviation related to Text Messaging. Speaking of trends that are on their way out, now’s a great time to catch up on some other interesting pieces of timely internet culture, like leetspeak, Finstagrams, and the word YEET. TBH is usually placed at the beginning or the end of a sentence to convey a feeling of frankness. The first Urban Dictionary entry for TBH was added in 2003, and (according to Google Trends) the word didn’t hit the big time until 2011.