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

Do you know what the internet slang term DGAF means? This guide will give you all of the necessary info on the acronym DGAF, including its meaning, usage, useful examples, and more!

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What does the acronym DGAF stand for?

According to Dictionary, DGAF is an internet slang term abbreviation that stands for “Don’t Give A F***.” This vulgar phrase means that someone does not care about something at all. This indicates that one’s attitude is unbothered, and they are either deciding not to care about something, or are indifferent. Urban Dictionary states that DGAF is not just a term, it is a lifestyle. It does not mean that someone is ignorant or uncaring, it just means that that person puts their own interests ahead of others and is going to do what they want to do no matter another person’s opinion. 

While this may be the case for people who understand the deeper meaning behind DGAF, not everyone does. One should be extremely careful when using the term DGAF and other expletive-filled acronyms, because it may offend someone, or one bay think that the person using it truly does not care about anything.

The acronym DGAF is considered an initialism, which means that if one was to say this out loud, they would pronounce each letter individually. Therefore, this means that they would pronounce DGAF “dee-jee-eh-eff,” and not “dee-gaff.” People will rarely say this acronym out loud because it does not save them very many syllables when speaking it aloud versus just saying the phrase. 

The Free Dictionary and Acronym Finder also list a couple of other meanings for the internet slang term DGAF, however these are far, far less common and are in Spanish and French. If one was traveling in Mexico or France, they may see the acronym DGAF have these meanings, but otherwise, it is likely to stand for “Don’t Give a F***.”

  • Don’t Give A Flip (polite form)
  • Dirección General de Autotransporte Federal (Mexico)
  • Délégué Général de l’Alliance Française (French: General Delegate of the French Alliance)

Is the acronym DGAF casual or formal?

The acronym DGAF is extremely casual and should never be used in a formal or professional setting. This term is perfectly acceptable use with friends one is comfortable with, but should be avoided when speaking to someone a person does not know well, or in business emails, negotiations, letters, or in other formal or professional circumstances. 

What are synonyms for DGAF? What are other acronyms that are similar to DGAF?

There are many ways that someone can express that they do not care about something. Some of the below examples are also acronyms that one can use in place of DGAF, but these other words and phrases may be able to be used in a more professional setting since they do not contain vulgarity and are not a slang word. These are listed below from Word Hippo Thesaurus and 7 ESL.

  • IDGAF – I Don’t Give A F***
  • IDGAFF – I Don’t Give A Flying F***
  • IRDGAF – I Really Don’t Give A F***
  • IDRGAF – I Don’t Really Give A F***
  • Zero F***s
  • Zero F***s Given
  • DGAS = Don’t Give a S***
  • IJDGAF = I Just Don’t Give a F***
  • IDC – I Don’t Care
  • IDRC – I Don’t Really Care
  • IDRCAA – I Don’t Really Care At All
  • Couldn’t care less
  • Apathetic
  • Neutral
  • Unconcerned
  • Disinterested
  • Indifferent 
  • Offhand about 
  • Uninvolved with 
  • Incurious 
  • Aloof 
  • Hard-hearted 
  • Turned off 
  • Listless 
  • Dispassionate 
  • Detached from 
  • Complacent 
  • Casual 
  • Insouciant 
  • Unenthusiastic about 
  • Bored stiff 
  • Weary 
  • Distant 
  • Nonchalant 
  • Perfunctory 
  • Unresponsive 
  • Going through motions 
  • Lukewarm 
  • Blasé 
  • Phlegmatic

How can DGAF be used in a sentence?

DGAF can be used in a variety of different sentences, so long as the circumstances surrounding its usage are casual and familiar. Below are a couple of examples in which it would be appropriate to use the term DGAF. In this first example, Katie is testing her friend Hannah about the homework she missed in school that day.

Katie: Hey Han, hope you’re okay! Here are some pics of the homework you missed today.

Hannah: Thanks for sending Katie. Please know that this isn’t directed at you, but I really DGAF about homework right now.

Katie: What happened?

Hannah: My brother is in the hospital. He’s gonna be okay, but it just feels like all anyone cares about is me doing algebra homework. I just can’t think about that right now.

Katie: OMG I’m so sorry. Do you want me to let our teachers know?

Hannah: If you could that would be great. I don’t know how long he’s gonna be here but I don’t wanna leave.

Here, Hannah uses DGAF to tell Katie that she finds it impossible to care about homework when her brother is in the hospital. In this next example, Hannah and Katie are talking about the homecoming dance a few months later.

Katie: I thought you were going to go with Ricky? He told me all about how he asked you.

Hannah: I really DGAF about Ricky anymore. Or any men. They’re all scum. Ricky asked me to homecoming and then I saw him making out with Nadia at the bowling alley the same night.

Katie: Ugh! 

Overall, the trending slang term DGAF is a vulgar internet slang acronym that stands for “Don’t Give a F***.” This means that someone does not care about something, and they are showing that lack of care emphatically through profanity. This is a very casual acronym that is popular on social media and SMS text messaging, but should never be used in professional or formal settings. Internet slang is inappropriate in these circumstances alone, but especially when coupled with vulgarity, should be avoided at all costs.

Sources:

  1. https://acronyms.thefreedictionary.com/DGAF
  2. https://www.acronymfinder.com/DGAF.html
  3. https://www.dictionary.com/browse/dgaf
  4. https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=DGAF
  5. https://www.wordhippo.com/what-is/another-word-for/I_don%27t_care.html
  6. https://7esl.com/dgaf/