An internet slang acronym standing for 'I know, you are, but what am I?' — a rhetorical retort used to deflect an insult by turning it back on the person who made it.
An internet slang acronym standing for 'I know, you are, but what am I?' — a rhetorical retort used to deflect an insult by turning it back on the person who made it. A digital version of playground bickering. Associated with early 2000s forum and chat culture and now feels quite dated. Used mostly ironically or nostalgically.
'You're being completely childish.' 'IKYABWAI.'
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Viral internet speak — memes, ratios, main-character moments, and the algospeak of every platform from Twitter to Reddit to TikTok comment sections.
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"If you know, you know." An inside-joke disclaimer for references only a specific subculture, friend group, or fanbase will get. Used to signal that the speaker belongs to the group without explaining anything. Doubles as a quiet flex.
(internet slang, text messaging) Or you know why.
An internet slang and text messaging abbreviation with two common readings: You Know Who (used to reference someone without naming them, often in gossip or secret-keeping) or You Know What (used to introduce a statement obliquely). The ambiguity is usually resolved by context. Primarily used in informal digital communication among people with shared reference points. The deliberate vagueness of YKW is sometimes its entire purpose — saying ykw without specifying invites the listener to fill in the blank themselves.
(Internet slang, rhetorical question) ?.
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(chiefly, Internet slang, rhetorical question) Used to mock a retort in a dispute that tries to reverse an insult on its original speaker.