BFFR

What Does BFFR Mean in a Text?

image of an exasperated man to illustrate BFFR

BFFR means "Be F*cking For Real." It is used in text messaging and online (especially on TikTok) to express incredulity or to admonish someone for talking nonsense. It is typically used when someone refuses to accept a situation, or fails to acknowledge an accepted fact. For example:

  • You think the Dodgers are going to win the Super Bowl this year? BFFR!
  • (Here, it implies that the idea of the Dodgers winning the Super Bowl is nonsense.)
  • Lee is still interested in dating Sam, after all that drama? BFFR!
  • (Here, it implies that Lee needs to accept the situation with Sam.)
  • The Trumpsters still believe the election was stolen. Those crazies need to BFFR.
  • (Here, it implies that the supporters of Donald Trump need to accept the fact their candidate lost the election.)
image of an exasperated man to illustrate BFFR

The phrase "Be f*cking for real" probably originated in African American Vernacular English (AAVE). The hashtag #BFFR went viral on TikTok in 2022, with videos such as this one gaining millions of views.


@casadimusic BFFR Be For Real @jaidynnicole • Friend #bffr Be forreal #remix #producer ♬ original sound - CasaDi

Image for BFFR

When I write BFFR, I mean this:

meaning of BFFR

Be F*cking For Real!

Summary of Key Points

"Be F*cking For Real" is the most common definition for BFFR on TikTok, Snapchat, WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
BFFR
Definition:Be F*cking For Real
Type:Abbreviation
Guessability:guessability level 4

4: Difficult to guess

Typical Users:typical user
Adults and Teenagers

An Academic Look at BFFR

image of an exasperated man to illustrate BFFR

BFFR is typically used as an imperative (i.e., an order). It can be followed by a period (full stop) or an exclamation mark, depending on the forcefulness of the command. However, for purposes of brevity in text-based messaging, punctuation such as exclamation marks, question marks, and even periods are often omitted.

As it is pronounced using its individual letters, BFFR is classified as an initialism abbreviation. Initialisms are different to acronyms, which are abbreviations spoken as words (e.g., LOL, NATO).

Example of BFFR Used in a Text

BFFR
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