# LOL

Pronunciation: say "el-oh-EL" US /ˌɛlˌoʊˈɛl/, UK /ɛl.əʊˈɛl/

## Interjection

1. Used to signal light-heartedness or that a statement is not meant seriously, sometimes carrying irony or sarcasm.
   - Simple: Added to a message to show that you are joking or not being serious.
   - _I totally bombed the interview, LOL, guess I'll keep searching._
   - _He replied 'LOL sure, whatever you say' in a clearly sarcastic tone._
2. Used in informal writing to show that the writer finds something funny or is laughing out loud.
   - Simple: Written in messages to show you think something is funny.
   - _He texted back 'LOL' the moment he read the punchline._
   - _LOL, that photo of your cat wearing sunglasses made me spill my coffee._

## Verb

3. To laugh out loud, typically in reaction to something funny seen online or in a message.
   - Simple: To laugh out loud at something, often while online.
   - _She LOLed so hard at the meme that her coworkers turned to look._
   - _I can't help but lol whenever he sends one of those voice notes._

## Noun

4. A single occurrence of the interjection 'LOL' as used or counted in a conversation.
   - Simple: A single written 'LOL' sent in a chat or message.
   - _That joke earned more LOLs than anything he'd posted all year._
   - _A single LOL was all the encouragement she needed to keep going._

## Interjection

5. Used as a sign-off in letters and notes to mean 'lots of love'. *(dated)*
   - Simple: Used at the end of a letter to mean 'lots of love'.
   - _He signed every letter home from camp with a cheerful LOL._
   - _Before email took over, Mom ended all her handwritten notes with LOL._

## Other meanings

- (noun) A small, elderly woman, especially as referred to dismissively in medical or informal contexts.
- (noun) Abbreviation for Loyal Orange Lodge, used as a prefix identifying any individual branch of the Loyal Orange Order.

## Origin

These are the first letters of "Laugh Out Loud." Canadian Wayne Pearson seems to have come up with it between the early and mid 1980s, and the earliest recorded use dates from 1989.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/lol (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).