Reaction slang

An exclamation for something satisfying and refreshing, or a situation resolving in a satisfying way — like the relief of a cold soda cutting through something stuffy.

"Hmm, if this is true, that's a little scary" (shortened) — said on hearing something hard to believe or shocking.

Originally from a polite gamer sign-off ("enjoy the game"), it got shortened over time and repurposed to mean "forget it" or "get lost" — often used to shut down an absurd item-trade offer or dismiss someone outright.

An exclamation of joy, like "yay!" or "let's go!" — popularized by YouTube clips and short-form challenges.

From "twieo-twieo" (run, run!) — means "get out of here now."

A softened, swear-free exclamation of annoyance or disbelief, like "ugh!" — the opposite of 야르.

"Owoya," also shortened further to "pya."

"Chaos" (난리) + "Elizabeth" — a playful exclamation for a situation that's total chaos or completely wild.

A stylized typo of "mwoim" ("what is this") — an exclamation of confusion.

It is used as a comprehensive ‘negative expression.’ It is a term coined by netizens to mock Moon Hee-jun by exploiting the fact that the pronunciation of ‘why break’ in his song ‘I’ sounds like ‘why break.’

It is an interjection used to express positive expectations in gambling or investment, but its meaning has expanded to be used when speaking of wishes.

It means idiot.

Started when a DC Inside user posted a comic about people in Busan mixing completely mismatched foods together, quoting a Busan dialect line, "Just mix it and eat!" ("Ma! Sseuka mugeura!"). The comic went viral, and afterward "seuka" came to mean mixing incompatible foods, with "Seuka-guk" ("Mix Country") used as a derogatory nickname for Busan. The term spread from DC Inside to many other Korean communities.

Said when something is so amazing your wig flew off — pure astonishment.

"Eyes welling up with moisture," shortened — used for something so funny you could cry, or a genuinely unfortunate situation. Unusually for internet slang, this one is credited to a specific celebrity (Ji Sang-ryul) rather than originating online.

"Shock and horror, you sorry beggars" (shortened) — from a line in a Korean-dubbed episode of The Simpsons.

"Add one idiot to the list, right here" (shortened) — a self-deprecating or mocking comment aimed at someone (including oneself).

Short for "Good Game" or "Give up Game" — from the StarCraft command typed in chat to concede. Also used generally after any failure or setback. Players often exchange "GG" both before a match as a greeting and after it as a sign of resignation.

"Thoroughly ruined" (shortened, with a crude intensifier) — used after an irreversible disaster, failure, or major setback.

"Lucky" + Jang Won-young's English name Vicky — an exclamation that something is fortunate, the catchphrase of 원영적 사고.

A variant of "haak-haak" — heavy, excited panting, used when getting worked up over something (often something cute or attractive).

An onomatopoeia, popular with beauty YouTubers, for the sound of a base product or foundation blending smoothly into skin — "pat-pat."

Shorthand for "attendance check" (chulseok chekeu, also ㅊㅅ/chulchek), and separately for a doubled "congrats" (chukchuk, also ㅊㅋ).

A mocking exclamation targeting gay men — twists "eomeona" (oh my) into "homona" (homo) and "ige" (this) into "gay," typically dropped in comments when two men show an ambiguous spark.

The next evolution of "jon-ye" (damn pretty) — an exclamation for something seriously pretty. "My heart just skipped! So jjonye, I have to buy it."

Used mainly for unfortunate situations — a real, if uncommonly used, word built from the exclamation "jeoreon" (oh no/that's a shame), turned into a verb for "being the kind of situation that prompts that reaction."

"Surprised," shortened from "startled and surprised."

It is an abbreviation for "moving meme," and is mostly used as a GIF.

When the Korean scream "eu-aaa" is rotated 90 degrees counter-clockwise, it visually resembles the vertically-written word "hoongi" — read literally as that, and used as a stylized scream/shriek.

Describes great chemistry, rapport, or compatibility between people — from English "chemistry."

A catchphrase from cartoonist Eongdeongguk's webtoon "Gay Bar Bound for Hong Kong."

Used to start an exaggerated reaction: "the way I screamed."

"I pissed myself" — used as an exclamation of awe at something incredibly good. Crude, but usually meant as high praise.

"Forced tension" — putting on an exaggerated, over-the-top reaction on purpose.

A further, more explicit twist on the mocking exclamation above, inserting a crude pun on "sesang-e" (in the world) as well.

Short for "Oh, no~" or the Korean exclamation "anwa" — used to warn someone their words or behavior are unpleasant and off-putting.

An exclamation of shock, meaning the same as "heok." There's an old Chinese character read the same way that means "flee in surprise," but most people now just treat "heol" as a piece of internet slang.

A reaction to something surprising or embarrassing, popularised by a viral video.

A scrambled "hallelujah" shouted when you're thrilled, like "yay!" It spread from a viral church youth-group Christmas video where the signs were held in the wrong order, and riffs on the older cheer 야르.

An intro to an emphatic reaction, usually before explaining why something is funny or outrageous.

An exclamation, same meaning as "heol" or "heok" (shock/surprise).

An exclamation of amazement or admiration, often drawn out.

An exclamation of disbelief or exasperation, like "come on."

An exclamation for something amazing or a huge success — "jackpot."

"Is this real?" — said when something is too much to believe.

An exclamation of sympathy or discomfort at something bad.

A dismissive reply to an older person's out-of-touch opinion.

An expression of embarrassment or alarm at something awkward. "Big yikes" makes it stronger.

A gleeful "woo-hoo!" shout; it comes from a 2010 Infinite Challenge clip of the show's name being misshouted, which went viral again in 2021.

Shocked, stunned.

From English "holy moly" — an exclamation of surprise.

Overreacting or acting irrationally.

Short for "no feeding" — don't feed the trolls; ignore someone who is provoking you for attention.

An exclamation of delight derived from the giggle sound "kkyareureu"; used like "yar" when you're happy or excited.

A nonsense exclamation of satisfaction or glee, e.g. after a great meal or nailing a task — used more for its sound than any literal meaning.

"Pass-through power" — the ability to let rude comments or annoying situations slide off you without reacting.

"Six-seven" — a near-meaningless Gen Alpha meme said with a see-saw hand gesture, roughly "meh, so-so"; it came from a Skrilla song and spread from US teens to Korean kids.

An operatic-sounding yawn noise that went viral from an office worker's story — used when you're sleepy or bored, and sometimes when something is so good your jaw drops.

To throw something hard without caring where it lands — "He yeeted his phone across the room"; also shouted as an exclamation of excitement.

An exclamation (from "goddamn") of surprise or admiration, usually at someone's large butt; also used as a noun for the butt itself. Also spelled "gyatt."

A cheerful exclamation for a good moment, born when a trot singer swapped her catchphrase into "Golden" while singing the KPop Demon Hunters song on radio.

A sideways glance showing doubt or disapproval; also used as a reaction — "Pineapple on pizza? Side eye."

A blank, unblinking look a young person gives instead of a verbal reply, e.g. at a service counter — read by some as rude, by others as a reaction to something absurd.

Short for "burning communication" — very active, fast interaction with viewers, e.g. a streamer answering every comment and question in real time.

Shocked or left speechless, usually by something amazing; from drag culture. "Her outfit had me gagged."

An imitative word for wolfing food down, similar to "hurriedly." Its reading is disputed: some treat it as an anti-male slur, while others say it's just a harmless sound word — the fight peaked around 2021.

A keyboard-smash interjection for laughter, excitement, or surprise — "sksksk I can't believe he said that." It became a stereotype of the 2019 VSCO girl, though it is usually traced to earlier Black and LGBTQ+ online communities.