IAB

What Does IAB Mean in a Text?

IAB means "I Am Bored." The abbreviation IAB is typically used in text-based messaging to indicate that the sender is disinterested in what they are currently doing and probably wishes to be somewhere else.

Other meanings of IAB include:
  • "It's All Bullsh*t."
  • "In A Bit."

Image for IAB

When I write IAB, I mean this:

meaning of IAB

Rainy days are often the most boring for children.

Summary of Key Points

"I Am Bored" is the most common definition for IAB on Snapchat, WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.
IAB
Definition:I Am Bored
Type:Abbreviation
Guessability:guessability level 4
4: Difficult to guess
Typical Users:typical user

Adults, Teenagers, and Under 13s

Examples of IAB in Sentences

Here are examples of IAB being used in conversations:
  • Bill: When IAB I send a text to a random number saying "I've hidden the body, what next?"
  • Sophia: Ha ha! Do you ever get a reply?
  • Julie: My sister bet me I couldn't make a car out of spaghetti. You should have seen her face as I drove pasta.
  • Wendy: IAB with your jokes! They're not even funny.

An Academic Look at IAB

IAB is an initialism abbreviation. Technically, this means it is pronounced using its individual letters (i.e., "Eye Ay Bee"), but it is not often spoken using its letters. In other words, the abbreviation IAB is for efficiency in writing and not efficiency in speech.

What Did We Say before Texting and Social Media?

Before the digital era, we might have just said something like "I Am Bored" instead of using the abbreviation IAB.

Example of IAB Used in a Text

IAB
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