What Does Ez Mean In Gaming? (Answered!)

Ez is a slang way of saying “easy” in gaming. It is usually used at the end of a competitive match or encounter by the winner. They use this phrase to sarcastically suggest that they found winning very easy, and that their opponent or opponents were no challenge. It can be used in good fun as well as tauntingly.

Ez is a very ubiquitous gaming phrase that you are almost certain to come across at some point in your online gaming life.

People like to taunt after a victory, though they are usually doing it in good fun and not meant to be taken seriously.

Let’s find out more.

In This Article

What does ez stand for in gaming?

Ez is just a slang way of typing the word “easy” quickly.

It doesn’t stand for anything in the sense that E and Z are not meant as letters in an initialism.

Ez is just meant to mimic the sound of “easy”, and has come to be accepted as the standard slang way of saying easy online.

This is used in a whole variety of contexts, though most often in some form of competitive online game.

Let’s take a popular game like Fortnite as an example.

After the end of a game, whoever wins might spam the chat with “Ez”, or merely say it once or twice.

The point they are making is that winning the game was no challenge for them, because they are so good at the game.

You, on the other hand, so easily beaten, need to book up your ideas!

Of course, how exactly to take this is an important question that I’ll get to later.

It’s a big debate about whether saying ez is something you should do, or if it is just a toxic way to play the game.

As usual, though, there’s no absolute answer to this question, and it all depends on context.

It can be used both in team games and in solo, free-for-all online games. If a team wins, the whole team might start saying ez in the chat—or if it is just one individual, they can say it, too. “GG everyone, ez!” for example.

It’s meant to seem cordial and friendly, while also being a very subtle dig against the losers.

So, do we know where this comes from?

Where does ez come from?

We can see one of the earliest examples of the term ez on the internet, though it is clear that it went through some evolution to take on its current meaning.

Originally, the sense was just “take it easy”. It was a way of signing off a conversation and saying goodbye, essentially.

This was in use by 2003 as early as we can tell, though it no doubt stretches back several years, at least, before that.

When everyone had an alphanumeric keyboard on their phone instead of a convenient QWERTY one, typing anything took a lot longer.

Naturally, then, everyone was looking for ways to shorten these things down.

In terms of gaming, though, it’s not as clear when it started being used.

Many claim that it was first used in early online multiplayer games, such as Counter-Strike.

This was certainly the kind of culture that led to the use of these kinds of “dis” terms.

It was in popular use by the mid to late 2000s and was mostly popularized by PC games—since these were usually the only ones that featured text chat in-game.

So, if someone says ez to you—what’s the response?

How do you respond to ez?

The simple answer is it really depends.

For the most part, you don’t have to respond at all if you don’t want to.

However, even if you’re on the losing side, you can always respond to ez with a “GG”—meaning good game.

This is a good way of being a good sport and not being “salty” about losing.

Of course, the winner may be being “toxic” about winning, in which case you may not feel inclined to respond—or you may want to respond angrily too them.

If they are saying ez without joking, though, then this is very likely exactly the response they are trying to get.

They want to rile you up and get you mad—it’s another form of “trolling”.

Don’t give them the satisfaction—be pleasant and friendly , and let them tire themselves out!

Is saying ez toxic?

Again, as I mentioned, this is a big debate in gaming communities.

For most people, saying ez really is not toxic.

Most of the time, it’s meant in a friendly, jokey, tongue-in-cheek way, and not actually meant to make you feel bad or wind you up.

If you want to say it, you can, and everyone will probably understand you are joking.

However, again, if you feel that it is toxic, then you don’t have to respond at all—otherwise, you can just rise above it.

So, you’ve certainly got to be a little bit careful with this one.

While it isn’t outright toxic in all cases, people can certainly take it that way.

At the same time, though, from your point of view, there’s no point in taking it this way.

Even if it is meant this way, you will only confound their desire to rattle you by pretending to understand it as jokey and playful rather than sarcastic and sincere.

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Founder - @PollyWebster

Polly Webster is the founder of Foreign Lingo and a seasoned traveler with a decade of exploration under her belt.

Over the past 10 years, she has journeyed to numerous countries around the globe, immersing herself in diverse cultures, traditions, and languages.

Drawing from her rich experiences, Polly now writes insightful articles about travel, languages, traditions, and cultures, sharing her unique perspectives and invaluable tips with her readers.

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