What does WYD mean?

A casual check-in asking what the other person is up to right now.

How to use it

Extremely common conversation opener in DMs and chat. Lowercase “wyd” reads relaxed and friendly.

Examples

• wyd rn?
• nothing much, just scrolling. wyd

In a real chat

Where it comes from

A shortening of “what (are) you doing?” that spread through texting and instant messaging and became a staple of DMs and social apps. Lowercase “wyd” is by far the most common form.

Is it friendly or rude?

Casual and friendly. Between friends it often means “are you free to talk?”; from a stranger it is simply an easy opener. Late at night it can carry a flirty undertone, so read it in context.

Spellings and variations

“wyd rn” adds “right now”, while “wyd tn” (tonight) turns it into a question about plans. “wud” and “whatchu doing” turn up too. With a question mark it is a question; “wyd 😭” after someone says something odd means “what are you doing?!” in disbelief.

Common mistakes

Answering “nm” (nothing much) and stopping is the classic way to end a chat that has only just started. The other mistake is reading too much into it: from a stranger it is small talk, not a sign they want something more. Between people who know each other it can be an invitation to hang out late at night, which does not apply to anonymous chat.