The Meaning of LBVS: What It Is and How To Use It

This article will give you all of the information needed on the acronym LBVS, including its definition, origin, sentence examples and more!

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What does LBVS stand for?

The most common meaning of the acronym LBVS is “laughing but very serious,” according to Urban Dictionary. This term is used to refer to something that one finds inappropriately funny, ironically funny, or tragically comedic. This casual slang word can be used for jokes between friends or family. This common textspeak along with other slang terms can frequently be seen on social media sites like Snapchat or WhatsApp, or via texts or instant messages, along with phrases like LOL meaning “laughing out loud,” or ILY meaning “I love you.”

There are two other less common circumstances in which the acronym LBVs may be used. In both of these, it would be making the acronym LBV into a plural. The first is when someone refers to wine. Here, it stands for late bottled vintage, and, according to WineMag, is usually said in reference to a port wine. Unlike true vintage port in which the wine is aged for two years before bottling, and then released to be aged for even longer, the LBVs are released between four and six years after the vintage. Once bottles, LBV is ready to drink.

In astronomy, the acronym LBVs can be used to refer to luminous blue variables, according to Abbreviations. Arxiv states that LBVs are massive evolved stars. It is very difficult to classify a star as such because of their short duration. They are not fully understood in terms of other massive starts due to their large and time-variable mass loss. This is a complicated astrophysical concept that is usually not what one is referring to when using the acronym LBVS.

LBV is also a designer brand founded by Joss Sackler in 2017, along with Libreville International Airport in Libreville, Gabon and Lake Buena Vista, which is where Walt Disney World resides. 

How can LBVS be used in a sentence?

The internet slang LBVS can be used in a variety of ways depending on context. It would hardly ever be spoken out as an initialism, and is usually only seen in text. In the first scenario, the abbreviation is used to stand for “laughing but very serious.”

Two of Ben and Penny’s schoolmates got into an argument and of of them punched the other in the face, giving him a concussion and knocking him out, as the rest of the school looked on. Ben was absent that day, and Penny text him to let him know later in the day.

Penny: OMG, you picked the worst day to be absent! Daphne found out Tucker was cheating on her and she punched him in the face!

Ben: Really?! Wow!

Penny: Yeah! She knocked him out and gave him a concussion, and the night before prom, too! LBVS.

Ben: LOL, same.

Here, Ben and Penny are laughing at the fact that Tucker got a concussion because it was such a spectacle in front of the whole school. However, Penny used LVBS because Tucker did receive a serious injury, a concussion. She feels bad about laughing but knows Ben will understand what she means.

In this next scenario, Cat and Sam are wine tasting in Napa. The sommelier hands them a small glass, and they take a whiff and a sip.

Cat: Ooh, that smells lovely.

Sam: I agree. It’s sweet but not too sweet. What type of wine is that?

Sommelier: This is one of our nicest LBVs, a port wine.

Cat: I love it!

Here, the sommelier uses LBVs to refer to a late bottled vintage wine. In the final scenario, Cathy tells her friend Luis about what her daughter Megan is studying for her PhD.

Luis: Wow, MIT! That’s an amazing school. What is Megan getting her PhD in?

Cathy: Astronomy and astrophysics. She’s doing her dissertation on something called LBVs – luminous blue variable stars. It’s very complicated, I really don’t know much about it!

Luis: Well, that’s how you know it’s intense! I’m sure you’re very proud of her.

Here, Cathy uses LBVs to refer to the astronomy term luminous blue variables, which are a type of star.

Is LBVS casual or formal?

LBVS is a casual texting acronym that should not be used in formal contexts. It should only be used as a joking term between friends or family. One would never want to tell their boss, “The store got robbed today. LBVS!” Below is an example of a situation in which LBVS should never be used.

Cassi’s boss Bekah is traveling internationally on business. His flight back was delayed and he missed his connection, and is now stuck in an international airport in Scotland. He emails her from the airport.

Cassi,

I have been in the airport for nine hours waiting for my new flight and now a chorus of bagpipes is playing in the terminal. I will not be in tomorrow. Please cancel my meetings and reschedule them for later in the week. Send my regards.

Bekah

Cassi should not respond with the following, as it would be highly inappropriate:

Hey Bekah,

OMG, I can’t believe it. Yeah I’ll cancel ur mtgs. Hope ur flight back is ok. LBVS!

C

Here, the use of textspeak and the fact that Cassi is laughing at her boss’ pain are both inappropriate. Instead, she should respond with the following.

Hi Bekah,

Oh no! I’m so sorry to hear. I will reschedule tomorrow’s meetings immediately. I hope you can have a smooth and restful flight. Let me know if you would like me to hold calls tomorrow as well. 

Best,

Cassi

Overall, LBVS is a textspeak acronym that stands for “laughing but very serious.” It is used to refer to situations that are either tragically comedic, ironically funny, inappropriately funny, or could have ended up very badly but did not. 

Sources:

  1. https://www.winemag.com/2010/04/01/understanding-late-bottled-vintage-port/
  2. https://www.abbreviations.com/LBVS
  3. https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Lbvs
  4. https://arxiv.org/abs/2009.03144
  5. https://lbvofficial.com/pages/about