ODG

What Does ODG Mean in a Text?

ODG means "Oh Dear God." ODG is an exclamation (much like OMG (Oh, my God) and OMD (Oh, my days)) typically used to express astonishment or incredulity.

Image for ODG

When I write ODG, I mean this:

ODG expresses astonishment.

Summary of Key Points

"Oh Dear God" is the most common definition for ODG on Snapchat, WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.

ODG
Definition:	Oh Dear God
Type:	Abbreviation
Guessability:	2: Quite easy to guess
Typical Users:	Adults and Teenagers

Examples of ODG in Sentences

Here are examples of ODG being used in conversations:

• Tony: Look who just walked in.
• Jordan: ODG! She's wearing the same dress as me!

• Tony: Look out of window now. There are dozens of shooting stars.
• Jordan:ODG! That's unbelievable.

An Academic Look at ODG

ODG is used as an interjection. (An interjection is not grammatically related to any other part of the sentence. It is included in a sentence (usually at the start) to express a sentiment, in this case surprise or amazement.)

Of note, ODG is an initialism abbreviation. Technically, this means it is pronounced using its individual letters (i.e., Oh Dee Gee), but as this is harder to say than "Oh dear god," it is not often uttered using its letters. In other words, the abbreviation ODG 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 said something like "Oh, my goodness" or "crikey" instead of ODG.

Example of ODG Used in a Text

Quiz

Try our fun quiz to test your knowledge of slang and texting abbreviations. Show Instructions