Acronyms dictionary
lel
or LEL or TOP LEL [lel] or [el-ee-el]
What does lel mean?
Lel is a playful or ironic variation of the common internet acronym LOL or lol, for laugh out loud.
Where does lel come from?
Examples of lel
Who uses lel?
Lel can have a subtle but significant difference from lol, as it can connote sarcastic or cynical laughter and can be used to laugh at someone. As a result, it can be interpreted as condescending and mocking and can be associated with internet trolls.
Still, as lel spread from the more obscure corners of online message-boards to the internet mainstream, it also took on softer, more general tones of general amusement or surprise—and perhaps carries a hipper, more in-the-know prestige than the familiar lol.
Lel is sometimes stylized as TOP LEL, which serves as a reaction to something that’s particularly humorous or shocking. Be very mindful that TOP LEL is often associated with topkek, a superlative form of kek, itself a corruption of lol favored by the alt-right. While lel is less politically and racially charged than kek, both can be used to express cruel laughter.
In some instances, lel may be used to stand-in for laughing extremely loud, an intensive form of lol.
Note
This is not meant to be a formal definition of lel like most terms we define on Dictionary.com, but is rather an informal word summary that hopefully touches upon the key aspects of the meaning and usage of lel that will help our users expand their word mastery.