What does IJBOL mean in a text?

"I just burst out laughing." That's the whole meaning. Dictionary.com (2023) says it is used like LOL, LMAO and ROFL, for "uncontrollable laughter or extreme amusement." Some people expand it as "I just bust out laughing"; same thing.

How to say it. Most people just type it. Out loud it's "IJ-bohl."

Is it still cool? Fading. IJBOL peaked around 2023. You'll still see it, but it isn't the newest way to laugh in a text.

Dictionary.com (2023) found it on social media as far back as 2009, but it was rarely used until 2021, when younger users picked it up in posts and videos on TikTok. It isn't new; it just got popular late, and its moment has mostly passed.

As a reply. IJBOL on its own says "that genuinely got me," a step up from a polite "lol."

To tell a story. "ijbol in class" means they laughed out loud somewhere they shouldn't have.

In lowercase, with emoji. It's often typed small and paired with 😭, which Dictionary.com's example posts show. Both together mean they're laughing hard.

In comments. Under a funny video, IJBOL is a compliment to whoever made it.

Harmless. It has no hidden meaning, it isn't rude, and it isn't code for anything. If anything, it's one of the friendlier things your teen can send you.

Our read: there's nothing to decode here. Because it's fading, a teen who still uses it may be doing so a little ironically, and that's fine too.

If your kid sends you IJBOL, you made them actually laugh. That's a win. You can just enjoy it, or reply with something simple like "Glad I'm good for something."

Skip trying to use it back in earnest. It peaked a few years ago, and a parent picking it up now is its own joke, which might be exactly the laugh you're going for.

If your teen sends it to a friend, not you, there's nothing to decode. It just means something landed. You could ask what made them laugh so hard, then let them show you the video, meme or message behind it.

• 💀 Skull: the emoji for "I'm dead," as in dying of laughter.
• 😭 Loudly crying face: an emoji often sent alongside it.
• 🥀 Wilted rose: the mock-sad one, for fake heartbreak.
• GYAT: another loud reaction word, with a meaning parents should know.
• Teen texting decoded: every emoji and code on one page.
• The Lowkey slang dictionary: every word, not just the texts.