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

This guide will give you all of the information you need on the acronym FTFY, including its meaning, common usage, example sentences and more!

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What does the acronym FTFY stand for?

According to How To Geek, the abbreviation FTFY stands for “fixed that for you.” This phrase is most commonly used on social media sites like Reddit and Twitter in order to make jokes or make fun of someone else’s opinion or grammar. Most often, this term is used sarcastically, though there may be situations in which someone means it genuinely. Before using this phrase, you should be aware of the fact that most people will interpret it as rude, sarcastic, and even aggressive. This term should be predominantly reserved for joking, playful text conversations with friends over social media sites or via SMS text messaging. 

This term is one of the longest standing internet slang terms, and was first posted to the website Urban Dictionary in the year 2005. Back then, it was a genuine phrase and a simple abbreviation to let someone know that they indeed repaired something for another person, such as a technical error on a website. However, it has morphed into a more sardonic phrase as time has passed and is now usually only used in a sarcastic way.  OVer time, FTFY has become a meme and is now exclusively used sarcastically. This term peaked in popularity in the year 2012, but is still commonly used today. The term FTFY can also stand for first-time first year, though this is far less common.

How can the acronym FTFY be used in a sentence?

The acronym FTFY is usually used sarcastically, though in certain circumstances one may still choose to use it genuinely. In this first example, the abbreviation FTFY will be used sarcastically. Here, Helen and Daria are talking about their celebrity crushes.

Helen: Ugh, Niall Horan is like the cutest, most perfect man in existence. 

Daria. Sorry, I think you mean Niall Horan is the worst former member of One Direction and overfed his fish until they died. FTFY!

Helen: Hey! It’s an easy mistake!

Here, Daria uses the term FTFY sarcastically to make fun of Helen’s celebrity crush in a joking way. In this next example, the phrase will be used genuinely. Helen asks her IT department for help with her computer.

Helen: Hi! For some reason I can’t get any of my Bluetooth devices to connect. Can you help me?

IT Department: Sure! Let me reset your Bluetooth settings… There we go looks like they’re all connected now. FTFY!

Helen: Thanks!

What are synonyms and antonyms for the term FTFY?

There is one other term that is very similar to FTFY that is used interchangeably with the term on social media sites like Reddit. This is FIFY, which stands for “fixed it for you.” This term is also often used sarcastically or for humorous effect. The term FIFY is an exact synonym for the term FTFY.

If someone is not familiar with Reddit, internet slang, or the terms FTFY or FIFY, you should look for another synonym in order to avoid confusion. A synonym is a word or phrase that has the same definition as another word or phrase. In this case, using a synonym for the term FTFY might be useful if the person you are speaking to is unfamiliar with Reddit terms or other internet slang terms, if you are looking to come across with a more formal or professional tone, or if you are looking to avoid repeating yourself or simply want to expand your vocabulary. This list of synonyms for FTFY and FIFY is provided by Thesaurus.

  • refinished
  • improved
  • adjusted
  • renovated
  • refurbished
  • renewed
  • restored
  • repaired
  • patched up
  • righted
  • rectified
  • corrected
  • fixed
  • remedied
  • mended
  • remodeled
  • rebuilt
  • reconditioned
  • settled

There are also many different terms that mean the opposite of FTFY. Knowing English language antonyms for different words, phrases, and abbreviations is very useful to grow your vocabulary and to  expand your knowledge of the English language. This list of antonyms for the terms FTFY and FIFY are also provided by Thesaurus.

  • hurt
  • destroyed
  • mangled
  • defective
  • crumbled
  • injured
  • fragmented
  • shredded
  • fractured
  • shivered
  • broken
  • fragmentary
  • slivered
  • crushed
  • rent
  • ruptured
  • demolished
  • mutilated
  • busted
  • crippled
  • cracked
  • dismembered
  • pulverized
  • collapsed
  • riven
  • damaged
  • burst
  • separated
  • in pieces
  • split
  • disintegrated
  • severed
  • shattered
  • smashed

There are also many different ways that one can say that something has been fixed in other languages. People in other countries may be familiar with the term FTFY or FIFY if they are familiar with sites like Reddit or the subreddit r/FTFY, but people who speak different languages and are unfamiliar with social media abbreviations like this might be confused. This list of translations is provided by Word Sense

  • Greek: επισκευή‎ (fem.), επιδιόρθωση‎ (fem.)
  • Portuguese: reparo‎ (masc.), conserto‎, reparação‎ (fem.)
  • Vietnamese: sửa chữa‎
  • Dutch: reparatie‎
  • Tagalog: pag-ayo‎
  • Polish: naprawa‎ (fem.)
  • Czech: oprava‎ (fem.)
  • Swedish: reparation‎ (common)
  • Latgalian: taiseit‎, pruoveit‎, lobuot‎
  • Finnish: korjaus‎, korjaaminen‎
  • German: Reparatur‎ (fem.)
  • Hungarian: javítás‎
  • Ido: reparo‎
  • Spanish: reparación‎ (fem.)
  • Esperanto: riparado‎
  • Latvian: labot‎, taisīt‎
  • Norwegian: reparasjon‎ (masc.), reparering‎ (fem.)
  • Japanese: 修理‎ (shūri)
  • French: réparation‎ (fem.)
  • Russian: ремо́нт‎ (masc.), почи́нка‎ (fem.)
  • Korean: 수리‎
  • Swahili: rekebisha‎

What are other slang terms that are common on Reddit?

Overall, the term FTFY most often stands for “fixed that for you.” This piece of internet slang is very popular on social media sites like Reddit. Commenters will use the term FTFY or FIFY, which stands for “fixed it for you,” to make humorous remarks on a comment or to alert someone to the fact that something has been repaired for the. This trending term is most popular on the internet forum site Reddit. 

Sources:

  1. https://www.thesaurus.com/browse/fixed?s=t
  2. https://www.thesaurus.com/browse/broken?s=t
  3. https://www.wordsense.eu/repaired/
  4. https://www.howtogeek.com/542570/what-does-ftfy-mean-and-how-do-you-use-it/#:~:text=FTFY%20is%20an%20abbreviation%20for,off%20as%20rude%20or%20aggressive.