Frequently asked questions: what does GG mean and when should I say it?
- GG in modern informal usage is an abbreviation first seen in chat groups at the end of online multiplayer video games
- These days GG has applications outside the world of gaming
What does GG stand for? Good going? Greta Garbo? Golden Globes? Good grief, are you still scratching your head?
GG is most often used these days to mean “good game” – although when it comes to abbreviations, there are no wrong answers. How generous!
We have the world of online gaming to thank for this usage – “GG” is a compliment paid as a multiplayer game draws to a close, according to a 2020 Finnish linguistics study.
Often sent in chat groups, a pithy “GG” acknowledges that the game played was either good, fair, or both.
Saying “GG” is also a display of sportsmanship, 2022 research from Indonesia notes. It’s like a ritualistic handshake at the end of a match well played, especially a close one.
(Of course, that’s true only if the term is used sincerely. “GG” can also be used sarcastically or as a statement of disappointment. There’s no stopping someone sprinkling in a derisive “GG” to mock poor performance during gameplay.)
