Meaning of MFW

What Does MFW Mean?

MFW means “My Face When”. MFW gained popularity when it was frequently used on 4chan imageboards. It served as the opening line of reply posts and greentext stories in particular. For example:

Typically, the term is used to show how a person would respond to a situation. It may be hypothetical or based on experiences of real life. “MFW” posts are usually accompanied by a reaction face image (in the form of a gif, emoji, or picture).

The use of the term MFW has spread beyond 4chan culture. Reaction image threads can now be found on a number of other online messaging purposes (e.g., Twitter, Whatsapp, iMessage etc.).

This is a common expression used to make fun of someone for their comments or actions. This would fall under the category of expressing emotions or feelings. It most often accompanies a funny meme or gif. It can also refer to something that you have to do, despite the desire not to. Working on the weekend is one example. One of the most popular memes regarding this online slant term is “mfw” I have to eat vegetables.

What’s “my face when” origin?

“MFW” began as a way for people to comment on posts they disagree with or want to make fun of. This started on social media sites and filtered from there. It is sometimes used in text messaging as well.

Similar internet slang words

“HIFW” or “How I feel when” is a similar slang and is very popular on social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Other slang that’s often used in replace or in conjunction with “mfw” are: “TFW” which is “That feeling when”; “mrw” or “my reaction when”; “ifyp” “I feel your pain”; “hifw”, “how I feel when”; “lol” which is the most popular acronym used, meaning “Laughing out loud”; “TNTL” or “Trying not to laugh”; “and JK” meaning “just kidding”.

  • “HIFW” = H (How) + I (I) + F (Feel) + W (When)
  • “TFW” = T (That) + F (Feeling) + W (When)
  • “MRW” = M (My) + R (Reaction) + W (When)
  • “IFYP” = I (I) + F (Feel) + Y (Your) + P (Pain)
  • “LOL” = L (Laugh) + O (Out) +L (Loud)
  • “TNTL” = T (Trying) + N (Not) + T (To) + L (Laugh)
  • “JK” = J (Just) + K (Kidding)

Conversation Examples

Example 1: (My face when)

  • Speaker 1: mfw I saw her bf
  • Speaker 2: lmao that bad
  • Speaker 1: omg yes kid looked like he fell into a tackle box
  • Speaker 2: rofl wow what is she thinking

* “Rofl” = rolling on the floor laughing

Example 2: (My feet wiggle)

  • Speaker 1: how was the band last night?
  • Speaker 2: eh kinda sucked mfw but I couldn’t dance to it
  • Speaker 1: fr? I heard they were awesome
  • Speaker 2: idk. Idts

* “Fr” = for real
* “Idts” = I don’t (didn’t) think so
*other examples of “mfw” will not be provided due to explicit language

Other Meanings

“MFW” can also stand for other things, although they might be less common. Examples are: “My feet wiggle”; “Mother f***ing win”; “My f***ing word; “Mother f***er why”; “More f***ing worse; “My f***ing wife”; “Mother f***ing what”; and “Mikey f***ing way” which is a saying started by Mikey Way, from the band My Chemical Romance.

Here is the list of other meanings in English:

  • M & F Worldwide Corporation
  • Misc.Fitness.Weights
  • My Father’s World
  • My Father’s World
  • Man for Woman
  • Meeting for Worship (Quaker practice)
  • Migrant Farm Worker (classification)
  • Mutual Fund Wrap
  • Michigan Fashion Week


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