KEKW

In Twitch chat, KEKW represents laughter. It is used similarly to LOL and lulz by gamers who want to show that something made them laugh.

Where does KEKW come from?

KEKW is a combination of KEK, which is the Korean equivalent of LOL, and the letter W, which Twitch chat users often use to convey an exaggerated facial expression. Together, KEK + W became KEKW - a term that means "exaggerated, hearty laughter."

However, KEKW took off only after it became a Twitch emote (a word that is linked to and can transform into a specific picture when entered in Twitch chat). The FrankerFaceZ Twitch extension linked KEKW with a picture of "Spanish Laughing Guy" Juan Joya Borja, a comedian and actor who is most famous for a memetic interview he gave in 2007. (You can watch the interview below.) Twitch users loved the "Spanish Laughing Guy" emote so much that they began using it and KEKW more frequently.

How is KEKW used?

These days, you may see both the KEKW emote and the term itself pop up in Twitch chat when a streamer does something amusing or embarrassing, or when another Twitch chat user says something funny. Users with access to the KEKW emote can enter :KEKW: in Twitch chat to generate the emote. If you don't want to use the KEKW emote, you can just enter KEKW itself in chat to represent hearty laughter.