What does the abbreviation XD stand for?
According to Linguaholic, XD is actually not an abbreviation at all, but rather an emoticon that represents roaring with laughter. People sue this emoticon on social media and in SMS text messaging as a response to something that they find humorous or hilarious. XD was particularly popular before the advent of emojis. XD is meant to represent a face laughing, with the X standing in for two eyes that are shut from laughter, and a capital D to show a wide open laughing mouth. The X can either be lowercase or uppercase, but the D is always uppercase. XD can also be seen in the online gaming community, especially in the chat sections of online streaming platforms like Twtich. XD is popular on social media, over instant messenger, and in SMS text messaging, however you would rarely hear someone say XD out loud. This is strictly reserved for written communication. XD is considered very casual and should not be used in professional or formal settings like business emails, letters, or other more formal scenarios. Only use XD with people you are casual and comfortable with. This laughing face is a great way to represent laughter casually.
According to The Free Dictionary, XD can also stand as an acronym for many different things. However, this is far less common than using XD as an emoticon to represent laughter. If you do decide to use XD as an acronym to stand for one of these alternate meanings, be cautious and make sure that you provide the reader or listener with enough context to decipher the correct meaning. As with any acronyms that have multiple meanings, make sure that the context is abundantly clear before using.
- ex dividend
- Exploratory Development
- Extreme Duty (Springfield Armory line of handguns)
- XenDesktop (Citrix Systems, Inc.)
- Christmas Day
- Exothermic Dispersion
- Cross Dock (distribution)
- Xtreme Duelists (Yugioh Clan)
- Extra Dimension
- Cross Direction
- Executive Development
- Mixed Doubles (sport)
- Extreme Digital (flash memory card developed by FujiFilm and Olympus)
- Exercised
- Execute Disable Bit (Intel)
- Experience Design
- Without Dividend
- Disney XD (TV Station)
What are synonyms for the abbreviation XD?
There are many different ways that people can represent laughter. Some of these are also internet slang terms, or emoticons, while others are full words. These are all considered synonyms for each other, as they have the same meaning. However, you should decide which you want to use depending on the formality of the situation. In many cases, it is not appropriate to use chat speak or texting slang terms, but it is more appropriate to use a full form of a word. Someone can also use a synonym to avoid repeating themselves or to expand their vocabulary. This list of synonyms for XD is from Thesaurus and Mental Floss.
- LOL – Laughing Out Loud
- LMAO – Laughing My Ass Off
- LMFAO – Laughing My F***ing Ass Off
- ROTFL/ROFL – Rolling On (The) Floor Laughing
- ROTFLMAO/ROFLMAO – Rolling On (The) Floor Laughing My Ass Off
- Haha, Hehe, Heehee, Muahaha
- riot
- derisory
- camp
- fantastic
- rich
- ludicrous
- derisive
- mirthful
- campy
- eccentric
- funny
- farcical
- nonsensical
- humorous
- inane
- diverting
- amusing
- comic
- comical
- jocose
- entertaining
- witty
- hilarious
- absurd
- preposterous
- risible
- jocular
- unusual
- har-har
- gelastic
- scream
- joshing
- mocking
- facetious
- asinine
- jokey
- bizarre
- ridiculous
- droll
How can the abbreviation XD be used in a sentence?
The popular term XD is commonly seen in text messages and on social media. In the below examples, the people who are texting will use the abbreviation XD to represent laughter at something they find very funny. In this first example, Susie and Nadia are talking about Nadia’s failed attempt at asking someone to prom.
Nadia: So I tried to ask Derek to prom today…
Susie: Wait, what do you mean “tried”? What happened?
Nadia: It was business as usual in the cafeteria, I was getting my lunch, he was a few spots ahead of me in line. I knew exactly how I was going to ask him…. Until some loser freshman spilled a blue Powerade all over my white shirt XD
Susie: OMG oh no!!!! How are you laughing at this?! I would be mortified!
Nadia: I was at first, but it does me no good to sulk about it. I might try to ask him in a place where there’s less potential for being doused in Powerade.
Susie: Good idea, LOL!
Here, Nadia uses XD to laugh at herself and her failed attempt at asking Derek to prom. In this next example, Nadia and Susie have just gotten their photos back from a class trip to an amusem*nt park.
Nadia: LMAO Susie, are you ready to see these photos from the waterslide?
Susie: I don’t think I’m ready LOL. Send away.
[Nadia sends a photo of her and Susie on a water ride. They are both soaking wet, their eyes are closed and their mouths are wide open in horror.]
Susie: XD OMG DUDE!!! We look possessed!
Nadia: I know right!!! Like they couldn’t have picked a worse time to snap that photo!
Susie: Seriously!!!
Here, Susie uses XD to laugh at the comical photo that Nadia sent of the two of them on the water ride. Using XD is a great way to casually represent your laughter.
Overall, the abbreviation XD is an emoticon that is used to represent someone laughing, It is meant to show a sideways face with the X representing two closed eyes and the capital D a wide, smiling open mouth. This is commonly used in SMS text messaging and on social media to depict laughter, and was especially popular before emojis were invented.
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Kevin Miller is a growth marketer with an extensive background in Search Engine Optimization, paid acquisition and email marketing. He is also an online editor and writer based out of Los Angeles, CA. He studied at Georgetown University, worked at Google and became infatuated with English Grammar and for years has been diving into the language, demystifying the do's and don'ts for all who share the same passion! He can be found online here.
