RAOK

What Does RAOK Mean in a Text?

The Quick Answer

RAOK means "Random Act Of Kindness."

More Observations...

A RAOK is a motiveless and unexpected kind gesture. The term "Random Act Of Kindness" originates from the phrase "Practice random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty," which was written on a placemat in Sausalito by Anne Herbert in 1982, which itself was a play of words on the term "random acts of violence and senseless acts of cruelty." (Herbert subsequently published a book entitled "Random Acts of Kindness" (February 1993), which offered true accounts of acts of kindness.)

Image for RAOK

When I write RAOK, I mean this:

RAOK (Random Act Of Kindness) is an unexpected offer of help or support.

Summary of Key Points

"Random Act of Kindness" is, by far, the most common meaning for RAOK when it is used in a text. (Bear in mind that it could have another meaning if used in a different context.)

RAOK
Definition:	Random Act of Kindness
Type:	Abbreviation
Guessability:	2: Quite easy to guess
Typical Users:	Adults and Teenagers

Examples of RAOK in Sentences

Here are examples of RAOK in conversations:

• Tony: Why did you give that beggar so much money?
• Jordan: I just felt like doing a RAOK.

• Tony: I need to perform a RAOK to restore my karma.
• Jordan: Why don't you fix my car for free?
• Tony: I'm trying to restore my karma not your car.

An Academic Look at RAOK

RAOK is typically used as a noun (i.e., a naming word). For example:

• A RAOK cleanses the soul.
(Here, RAOK is being used as a noun.)

Of note, RAOK is an initialism abbreviation. Technically, this means it is pronounced using its individual letters (i.e., Ar Ay Oh Kay), but as this is harder to say than "Random Act Of Kindness," it is not often uttered using its letters. In other words, the abbreviation RAOK is for efficiency in writing and not efficiency in speech.

Example of RAOK Used in a Text

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