What Does WTV Mean In Texting? (Revealed!)

WTV is an abbreviation of “whatever” used in texting slang. It is a way of indicating apathy and that you don’t care about what is being said. It can also be used in the common construction “X or whatever”. It’s simply a stand-in for the word whatever in any context.

“Whatever” is one of those stereotypical, young person phrases that everyone expects to hear from a teenager’s mouth fifty times a day.

It certainly is a very common word and is used just as commonly in texting as it is in everyday speech and language.

Let’s find out more.

In This Article

What does WTV stand for in texting?

WTV doesn’t stand for anything in texting in the sense of being an initialism for a series of words.

Instead, WTV is an abbreviation of the word whatever, naturally, something very frequently used in texting.

“Whatever” can have many contexts and applications and there are many different situations in which you might use the word.

The stereotypical way of using the word is in a kind of dismissive way, a way of showing that you don’t care about something or at the very least want to seem detached.

“I don’t care that he broke up with me, WTV,” for example.

On the other hand, it can be used in a less dismissive if equally casual way to imply a list of potential things to without having to list more than one actual thing.

Say, for example, you were considering where to go to get some food.

You might get fed up trying to decide on somewhere so you just say “Let’s just get McDonald’s or WTV”.

The point is that it doesn’t really matter what the other options are.

It’s also often used as a standalone term again trying to show detachment, but at the same time is trying to convey annoyance and even hurt.

For example, if you were having an argument with a friend and you felt you hadn’t done anything wrong, at a certain point they may simply say “WTV” to indicate that they don’t want to argue anymore but that they are still angry with you.

So, the abbreviation “WTV” could be used in any one of these contexts and perhaps even more.

Generally, it can be seen as a way of expressing detachment and irritation, of being annoyed about something and/or not really caring about it at all.

Where does this come from, then?

Where does WTV come from in texting?

As with many such texting and internet abbreviations, we aren’t really sure when or where this one started being used.

It seems to have been in use to some extent for just about as long as texting has been around.

It can be seen in internet chatrooms and forums from the 90s, so it’s safe to assume it was in use in texting slang by this time.

In the early days of texting, when everyone was typing on an alphanumeric keyboard, abbreviations like this sprung up constantly.

Typing out anything took a lot longer than it would today due to the fact most phones have QWERTY keyboards.

So, wherever they could find them, people were looking for shortened versions of words they frequently used.

Beyond that, we don’t really know where this one came from.

Like most abbreviations of its kind, it was probably first used in private texts, of which we have no record.

That said, we can see, as I said, in any forums and chatrooms from the time of which there is still a record, that it was used.

These go back well into the 90s where we can see many examples of people using the abbreviation.

So, it’s been around for a good long time in terms of the life of texting.

Can WTV be used in a good way?

WTV is one of those abbreviations that often gives people worry that they’ve said something to annoy the person they are speaking to.

Certainly, this is a phrase that people may use to indicate they are annoyed with you about something, but it doesn’t always have to be this way.

It’s of course all going to be dependent on context, and obviously someone saying “Let’s do x or whatever”, for example, isn’t necessarily anything to do with being angry or annoyed with you.

Some people simply communicate in different ways, so someone saying “WTV” even on its own may not necessarily indicate they are annoyed or irritated with you.

At the end of the day, though, if you aren’t sure what someone means by something they’ve said, only they can tell you for sure. Just ask them—you’re probably overthinking it in most cases!

What else does WTV mean?

In rare cases, there are a couple of other things that WTV can mean.

Sometimes it may mean “what’s the vibe”, an expression to ask what sort of an event something might be.

The person might be wondering if a party will be casual or formal. “WTV, should I wear something nice or just casual?” for example.

Though it can have one or two other meanings in some rare contexts, then, generally “WTV” means whatever when used in texting.

It’s an abbreviation of the word meant to make typing it out quicker and less arduous.

It doesn’t always mean someone is angry, irritated or annoyed with you, though, so don’t jump to take it that way!

There are many ways someone might seek to use the word “whatever”.

More in Texting Meanings

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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