Kek
Laughing out loud
Example
Related Slang
LOL | Laughing out loud |
WOW | World of Warcraft |
MMORPG | Massively multiplayer online role-playing game |
adds | Additional mobs |
Debuff | Weakening effect |
Grinding | Performing repetitive tasks to level up |
Bot mafia | A legion of automated World of Warcraft characters |
Agi | Agility |
Arpen | Armor penetration |
blizz | Blizzard |
blzd | Blizzard |
Categories
Korean laugh
Kek is a shortened version of keke that Korean speakers may use when communicating online to express laughter, similar to "LOL" or "hehe" in English. The repetitive "ke" sound imitates a giggle or chuckle, making it a lighthearted way to react to something funny.
People typically use it in casual texts, online chats, and social media posts. Online gamers may also be familiar with "kek" because it often appears in online games, such as StarCraft and League of Legends. In these fast-paced games, players use "keke" to react quickly to humorous or entertaining moments during gameplay.
Over time, the term has also spread among non-Korean-speaking international gamers who interact with Korean players or are fans of Korean gaming culture. For example, non-Korean users may type it when they chuckle at a teammate's clever move during a game.
Example
Related Slang
keke | Korean laugh |
LOL | Laughing out loud |
hehe | Laughing |
BWL | Bursting with laughter |
BMGWL | Busting my gut with laughter |
FOFL | Falling on the floor laughing |
BL | Belly laughing |
PMP | Peed my pants |
BAGL | Busting a gut laughing |
BWL | Bursting with laughter |
Died | Laughed hard |
Kek is another way to say "LOL," which stands for "laughing out loud." It is famously associated with World of Warcraft (WoW), Blizzard Entertainment's massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG).
In the game, players join one of two factions: the Horde or the Alliance. These factions have their own languages, and their communication is intentionally scrambled to maintain a sense of rivalry. When a Horde player types "lol" in chat, Alliance players see it as "kek" due to WoW's in-game language filter. Over time, "kek" has become a playful way for players to refer to laughter, especially among the Horde faction or in conversations about WoW culture.
WoW gamers not only use "kek" in the game but also in the broader gaming community as a nod to the game's quirky language mechanics. For example, Horde players may jokingly use kek instead of lol outside the game when reacting to something funny in a group chat.