RATIO

What Does Ratio Mean in a Text?

Definition of Ratio

"Ratio" is a word used widely on social media to mean the proportion between the number of responses a social media post generates directly, compared to the responses generated by the comments on that post.

Likes, Re-posts and Comments

On TikTok, Twitter, and other social media platforms, "ratio" refers to the proportion of likes and re-posts that a post gets, in relation to the number of comments it generates and the likes and re-posts that those comments get. If users engage more with a comment someone has made below a post than with the post itself, it is normally seen as a sign that people disagree with or are mocking or criticizing the original poster.

Especially on TikTok

Ratio is particularly popular on TikTok, where commenting with hashtag #Ratio is often a blatant declaration of a popularity contest between the content creator and a person commenting on that content. "Ratio" is used by both creators and viewers as a call-to-action for the audience to balance the number of likes on the video with the number of likes that the comment receives. (For example, if the video has 1000 likes, but the #Ratio comment posted by a viewer receives 2000 likes, the Ratio would be 1:2, which is a lose (L) for the creator and a win (W) for the viewer.)

So, What's "Ratioing"?

When the proportion between the direct responses to a post and the responses to a comment on that post are different to 1:1, the losing party (L) is said to have been Ratioed. It is generally considered embarrassing because it suggests public opinion has turned against the original content.

Image for Ratio

Getting Ratioed is Embarrassing

Summary of Key Points

Ratio
Definition:	Proportion Between the Number of Responses a Social Media Post Generates Directly, Compared to the Responses Generated by the Comments on That Post
Type:	Word
Guessability:	3: Guessable
Typical Users:	Adults and Teenagers