It is not uncommon for users to come across various slang words and acronyms while using Instagram. Social Media is an ever evolving platform where users keep coming with new terms to convey their emotions and feelings more accurately. One such acronym that people keep coming across is “TBH”. But what does “TBH” mean? Let’s find out.
“TBH” Meaning on Instagram?
The question arises, what does “TBH” mean on Instagram? Well, “TBH” stands for To Be Honest. It signifies that the user is being honest about what they are saying. It can also be added before statements to give them more weight and credibility.
So what does it mean when someone says “TBH” on Instagram? Usually, it means that they are expressing their honest opinions online.
“TBH” is used quite frequently and informally between conversations. It doesn’t always have to be something serious where you are trying to convince someone that you are right. It can be used in a lighthearted way before statements where most people wouldn’t doubt you to begin with.
How to use “TBH” on Instagram?
When you want to be honest about something, you can add “TBH” preceding that sentence. There are quite a few ways to do this. Let’s go over some examples to demonstrate the usage of “TBH”.
Example: #1
- Jack: Hey, are you okay? You were looking quite sad today?
- Shakira: TBH, I failed my test this morning.
Example: #2
- Smith: Do you like burgers that much?
- John: Well, I don’t mind burgers, but TBH, I prefer pizzas.
Alternative meaning of TBH on Instagram
While “TBH” stands for to be honest, on Instagram, it ended up taking another form that was prevalent amongst teenagers. For them, a “TBH” was something that they used as a pretext to say something nice about other users, or be honest about a person if they asked for a “TBH”. People love hearing good things about themselves, and “TBH” ended up being another way of receiving validation online.
Sometimes, users used it as a barter. A user would ask people for likes on their pictures and, in return, they would give the people who liked their pictures a “TBH”, which usually meant that they would write something nice in the comments of one of their posts.
There were multiple reasons why teens would do it. They could do it because they were bored, because they wanted to connect with other users, they wanted a confidence boost or because they wanted to get noticed by their crush.
Origins of TBH
The origin of TBH took place a long time ago. While an exact date cannot be traced back, it is known that it rose in usage around 1991. Born at the height of the popularity of internet chat rooms, instant messengers and communication via SMS, TBH was used frequently as an acronym on these platforms, especially SMS’es.
This may come as a surprise to users who have never used a phone without a QWERTY keypad, but when typing a single letter could comprise of up to 4 keystrokes, users prioritized speed and ease over readability, compressing the phrase, “To Be Honest” into tbh. Around the year 2000, which was when social media started getting popular, TBH ended up spreading to it as well. Today, it is one of the most frequently and commonly used phrases that is used by people online.
FAQs
TBH stands for “To Be Honest” on Instagram.
Depending on the way it is used, it could mean “To Be Honest” or it could ask people to say something nice about themselves.
TBH means To Be Honest on chats and Text Messages.
Just like on social media, TBH on Roblox stands for To Be Honest.
“TBH” means To Be Honest and “IDK” means I Don’t Know
In slang, “TBH” means To Be Honest.
If someone asks for a “TBH” on Instagram, you can message them to say something nice or write a nice message in their comments.
Conclusion
After reading this article, we are sure that you are completely well versed with what TBH means, what TBH stands for, what is its proper usage, any other meanings that it might have and its origins as well. Now go ahead and use it with your friends online to show off your internet slang skills.
