Ad nauseam is an adverb that comes from Latin and means “to the point of sickness/nausea.”
Usually, ad nauseam is used as a hyperbole; typically, it is used to say that something is repeated or carries on to an excessive degree, but not actually to the point of sickness or nausea.
Ad nauseam in a sentence examplesBy the end of the election campaign, the same issues had been debated ad nauseam by both sides.
My toddler can sing the same song ad nauseam without appearing to tire.
The teacher went on ad nauseam about the importance of revision and good study habits.
NoteAlthough ad nauseam is a loanword, it has been used in English for so long that it is not necessary to use italics when writing it. This also applies to other Latin words and phrases, like mea culpa or vice versa.
Verbiage is a noun which describes the tendency to use more words than necessary or overly technical words. Usually, it is used with negative connotations.
Published on
June 27, 2024
by
Hannah Skaggs
Revised on
November 11, 2025
IKR stands for “I know, right?” and shows strong agreement.
It is a casual initialism often used in texting and chat to show someone you agree with what they’ve said.
So why not just say “I know” (IK)? In writing, where tone can be hard to discern, “I know” can come across as if the person didn’t need to say what they said because you already know it. This might seem rude if they were venting or looking for empathy rather than just sharing information. Adding “right?” to the end is literally asking if they agree, a question that is unnecessary but shows you care about the other person’s perspective.
IKR is for casual use only, so there are no rules about using punctuation with it or capitalizing it. Although the phrase it stands for is correctly written with a question mark, it’s fine to write IKR without a question mark.
Published on
June 27, 2024
by
Hannah Skaggs
Revised on
November 11, 2025
LMK is an abbreviation for “Let me know.”
The letters in LMK may be capitalized or lowercased, but the meaning is always the same in texting and chatting. When a person says “LMK,” they’re usually asking for information that they don’t expect to get immediately but that will probably be available soon.
To understand how to use LMK, see the explanations and examples below.
Published on
June 27, 2024
by
Hannah Skaggs
Revised on
November 11, 2025
FYI is an initialism meaning “for your information.” While “for your information” is a prepositional phrase, FYI is most often used as either an interjection or a noun.
FYI in a sentence examplesFYI, the meeting starts at 3 PM.
FYI, the restaurant we were talking about is closed on Mondays.
I sent you an FYI about the new project guidelines.
Published on
June 26, 2024
by
Paige Pfeifer, BA
Revised on
November 11, 2025
AFK is an abbreviation for “away from keys” or “away from keyboard.”
Sometimes you need a quick and easy way to let someone know you have to go. When you type “AFK,” it lets whomever you’re talking to know that you’re away from your phone or computer for some length of time and probably won’t answer right away.
AFK in a sentence examplesAFK, gonna check out this beautiful sunset
Demeanor is how you present yourself to others, including your actions but also your tone of voice, facial expressions, and body language. In British English, the correct spelling is “demeanour.”
As a noun, demeanor is neutral; depending on context, it has a positive or negative connotation. If someone has a friendly demeanor, for instance, it means that they smile and nod as you talk to them or that they maintain eye contact. In contrast, a person of unfriendly demeanor will probably act in a cold and disinterested way, paying little attention to what you are saying.
Demeanor in a sentence examplesDespite the crisis situation, our manager maintained their calm demeanor.
We were greeted by a small woman of cheerful demeanor.
He has a shy demeanor and blushes when he has to give a presentation.
Published on
June 26, 2024
by
Paige Pfeifer, BA
Revised on
December 31, 2025
LMAO means “laughing my ass off.” It’s a slang abbreviation that shows you think something is incredibly funny.
Teens and other people have been talking about laughing their asses off for some three-quarters of a century—one of the most well-known uses of the phrase appears in Catcher in the Rye, a popular 1951 novel by J.D. Salinger (“It ends up with everybody at this long dinner table laughing their asses off because the great Dane comes in with a bunch of puppies,” Holden describes, speaking of a movie he dislikes).
Let’s look at how the phrase was abbreviated as LMAO and how you can use it.
Published on
June 24, 2024
by
Tom Challenger, BA
Revised on
November 11, 2025
To touch base means to briefly communicate with a person or a group of people such as a team of employees in order to stay in contact with them or check something.
It is an informal idiom that comes from the sport of baseball. It is often used in work and business contexts but is not generally used in formal or academic writing.
Examples: Touch base in a sentenceI’m going to touch base with Maria at the event tomorrow, so I’ll ask her about it then.
Have you got a minute to talk? I just wanted to touch base before the meeting later.
Let’s touch base about the arrangements again later in the week.
