AWOL
AWOL has 2 meanings
Absent without official leave
Example
I've tried Ian's cell 10 times and he won't pick up. He's gone AWOL
I think we're just gonna have to go to his house and confront him in person
OK. Let's go
Related Slang
MIA | Missing in action |
FUBAR | Fouled up beyond all recognition |
CF | Cluster f*** |
CMA | Cover my a** |
COC | Code of conduct |
POW | Prisoner of war |
Ghosted | Abandoned |
Ghosting | Leaving without saying goodbye |
Irish goodbye | Leaving without saying goodbye |
Dutch leave | Leaving without saying goodbye |
French exit | Leaving without saying goodbye |
French exit | Leaving without saying goodbye |
Categories
Absent while online
If your friend is online but unresponsive, you might refer to them as "AWOL," meaning they are absent online. The acronym comes from the military version of AWOL, which stands for "absent without official leave" (a bit more serious than stepping away from your computer for a while).
You will likely only encounter this version of AWOL when online on a forum, social site, etc. For example, if you ask your friend a question and they take a while to respond, another friend may comment, "It looks like Brian is AWOL again." Or, you
Example
hey, ru at your computer or ru awol?
im here! sry about the delay
Related Slang
AFK | Away from keyboard |
AFC | American Football Conference |
AFC | Away from controller |
G2P | Got to pee |
GFN | Gone for now |
GALMA | Go away, leave me alone |
BBIAS | Be back in a second |
BBIAF | Be back in a few |
BBIAM | Be back in a minute |
BBIAW | Be back in a while |
WHYBATT | Where have you been all this time |
RU | Are you |
Sry | Sorry |
In the military, AWOL is when a soldier leaves their post or assignment without first receiving official permission. Typically, the soldier does not intend to desert; they are just not at their post (e.g., they may have overslept and not returned to their scheduled duty).
The military usage of AWOL dates back to the 1920s. Officers may use it in various contexts, including when filing official documents or as a noun when referring to soldiers (pronounced "a-wall").
AWOL in other contexts
People may use AWOL in contexts other than the military to describe people who have gone rogue without informing anyone (similar to ghosting). For example, your boss may text you, "James is awol again. Can you come in and cover his shift today? I can pay you overtime." Or, one of your group members for a class project may be a no-show, and you email the other members, "Trent is AWOL. I can't get a hold of him. I'll just do his part tonight, then let the teacher know tomorrow."