Signals you’re about to be honest — often before a compliment, confession, or hot take.
How to use it
Softens honesty: “ngl this song grew on me”.
Examples
- ngl i judged this app at first but its fun
Chat slang
What does NGL mean?
NGL
stands for “Not Gonna Lie”
Stranger: ngl i thought this was going to be weird
You: haha same. is it?
Stranger: ngl its kinda fun
You: high praise. what did you expect?
Where it comes from
“Not gonna lie”, a texting shortcut for a phrase people were already saying out loud to soften an honest admission.
Is it friendly or rude?
Soft and candid. It usually comes before a small confession, a compliment or a gentle disagreement, which makes an honest opinion feel less blunt.
Spellings and variations
“ngl” is usually lowercase and usually comes first. “not gonna lie” spelled out sounds more deliberate, and “i’m not gonna lie” more deliberate still. “lowkey” often travels with it (“ngl lowkey loved it”) to soften the admission further.
Common mistakes
NGL in front of a harsh opinion does not make it less harsh: “ngl your music taste is bad” still stings. It also loses its effect if every message starts with it. And watch for it being used to sound candid while pushing for something, like “ngl you seem cool, add me on insta?”, which is still a request to move off the platform.
How to reply to “ngl”
- Invite the honesty: “go on”.
- Reciprocate: “ngl same, I just never said it”.
Questions about NGL
Is ngl always negative?
No. It is used for compliments, like “ngl this chat is fun”, as often as for criticism.
What is the difference between ngl and tbh?
They overlap almost completely. NGL feels a little more casual and current; TBH is older and slightly more neutral.
Related slang
More in Chat Slang Decoded and random chat etiquette.
Try it: use “ngl” on a real stranger
ngl i’ve never tried a chat like this. what brings you here?
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