What Does MFW Mean? Texting, Social Media, Usage & More

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An overview of the MFW acronym, including what it means and how it's most commonly used on text and social media

Co-authored by Glenn Carreau Reviewed by John Keegan

Last Updated: August 8, 2024 Fact Checked

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What does MFW mean in texting?

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How to Use MFW

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How to Reply to MFW

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Alternate Versions of MFW

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Tips

If you’re not up-to-date with texting slang, seeing MFW in your text messages might throw you for a loop—but we’re here to help. In this guide, we’ll cover all the different meanings and uses for MFW with examples, so you can see how to start using it in your texts and social media posts. Read on to learn more about MFW, where it comes from, and why it’s such a handy texting acronym!

Things You Should Know

MFW most often stands for “My face when.” It’s usually paired with an image, GIF, or emoji to convey your feelings about something.
Use MFW to react to something funny or surprising. Share a brief anecdote with it, or use it to lighten the mood when you have bad news.
Reply with your own reaction when someone uses MFW to share their feelings about something. You can respond with humor or give a serious reply.

Section 1 of 4:

What does MFW mean in texting?

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MFW stands for “My face when.” This abbreviation typically describes a situation and the user’s reaction to it, implying that the situation provoked a specific facial expression. MFW is often paired with an emoji or reaction image that illustrates the referenced emotion. In some cases, MFW is a relatable reaction meme on social media sites like Reddit and Twitter or over text.
- “MFW I feed my cat exactly 5 minutes late, and she starts biting my computer in retaliation 🙀”
- “MFW my sister wants me to cancel my date to babysit for her 😡”

Section 2 of 4:

How to Use MFW

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Text MFW to explain your reaction to something. When you have a funny or surprising anecdote to tell someone, you can phrase it to start with “MFW…” and then a sentence about what happened. If you like, track down a funny GIF, emoji, or reaction image and send that along with the text.^{[1]
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- “MFW my headphones get caught on the doorknob while it’s swinging shut 😵‍💫😵”
- “MFW when the waiter hands me a dessert menu, and there are multiple pages 🤤”
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Use MFW to lighten the mood while breaking bad news. If something upsetting or disappointing happens but you prefer to deliver the news in a slightly funny or cheeky way, use MFW to lighten the mood. You’re still getting the message across while giving your texting buddy a quick laugh (or at least a sympathetic smile) in the process.^{[2]
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- “MFW I get called in for jury duty the same week I’m supposed to go on vacation 😭”
- “MFW I get stranded at the bus stop and need someone to come pick me up 🥺🙏”
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Make a joke or a meme with MFW. This abbreviation is also handy when you want to crack a joke—either at someone else’s expense or your own—or even turn the joke into a meme. Making a meme is pretty easy; just track down an image that represents your “MFW” statement in a funny way and paste the text over it in a photo editing program.^{[3]
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- For example, you could use the “puppet monkey meme” template as a base and write “MFW someone says, ‘What’s that smell?’” on it.
- Alternatively, you could start with the “man blinking meme” and write something like, “MFW someone tells me the math test wasn’t even that hard.”

Section 3 of 4:

How to Reply to MFW

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Share your own feelings when MFW is used to react to something. If someone shares a crazy, unexpected, or funny experience with you, send a reaction emoji or GIF back to them. Let them know what you think of their anecdote in an entertaining way!
- Person 1: “MFW my favorite movie comes on TV for the second time this week 🥳”
- Person 2: “Ooh, fun! 😄 What channel?”
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Respond to bad news with good humor, sarcasm, or seriousness. When you get bad news from someone using MFW to lighten the mood, it’s up to you how you want to react. You could keep the mood light and send a sarcastic response, or be genuine and react with sympathy and understanding.
- Person 1: “MFW my dad cancels our trip to the zoo together. 😡”
- “Oh no! I’m sorry. Do you want to do something with me instead? 🥰”
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Laugh (or respond with the laughing emoji) to a joke made with MFW. If you get a funny MFW meme from your friend, show them that you get the joke. Send an emoji or a laughing GIF in reaction to the meme they sent. You could even make a meme of your own and send it back!
- Person 1: “MFW mom starts yelling at me for something my brother did. 🧐🤔”
- Person 2: “Yikes! 🤣🤣🤣”

Section 4 of 4:

Alternate Versions of MFW

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MFW is sometimes written with the > symbol, as >MFW. The abbreviation MFW originated on 4chan in 2009, used in “green text stories” (so named because they’re written in green-colored text). The > is part of 4chan’s usual formatting, where stories are segmented, and each piece begins with >. Thus, people who don’t use 4chan will probably just write “MFW” and not “>MFW,” but they mean the same thing.^{[4]
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- “>locked my keys in my car / >waited for 3 hours for help / >missed my date / >MFW 😵”
- “>broke my computer / >sent it in for repairs / >it’s still not working right / >MFW 🙄”
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MFW is usually synonymous with the abbreviation “TFW.” TFW is another example of texting slang, meaning “That feeling when" or "That feel when." Since both MFW and TFW are used as ways to express an emotion or reaction, they can usually be used interchangeably—and you can interpret a message with TFW the same way you’d interpret a message with MFW.
- “TFW I slip in the mud wearing my favorite pants. 😵‍💫😭”
- “TFW I study all week, and then the quiz gets postponed! 🥴”

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Tips

Back when Craigslist had a "Personals" section for dating and hookups, MFW was sometimes confused with "M4W," which was an abbreviation for "Man seeking woman." Don't mistake the two in your texts; they mean very different things!

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