What does TBH mean?
TBH is short for to be honest. It is one of the most common abbreviations in texting, group chats and comment sections. Written tbh or TBH, it tells the reader that what you’re saying is your genuine view, even if it’s a little blunt or a little personal.
Like “honestly” in speech, TBH often does more than announce honesty. It can soften criticism (“tbh it was a bit long”), add warmth to a compliment (“tbh you’re one of my favourite people”), or admit something small (“tbh I haven’t started the essay”).
How to use TBH (with examples)
- “tbh I’d rather just order in”
- “the movie was fine tbh, nothing special”
- “tbh idk what to get her for her birthday” (to be honest, I don’t know)
- “tbh you handled that really well”
- “I’m tired tbh, can we reschedule?”
- “tbh ngl I didn’t expect to like it this much”
TBH can sit at the start or end of a sentence. At the start it frames the opinion; at the end it reads like an afterthought confession. Both are normal.
“A tbh”: the social media meaning
On older Instagram and Facebook posts you’ll find captions like “like for a tbh.” The game was simple: anyone who liked the post got “a tbh” from the poster, a short honest comment about them, often posted in the comments or sent by message. In that use, “tbh” is a noun meaning “an honest opinion about you.”
The same idea lives on in story posts that say “send me a tbh”: friends send an honest message about you, and the anonymous version is where the real answers come out.
TBH vs NGL, IMO and FR
| Slang | Means | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| TBH | to be honest | Giving a frank opinion or small admission |
| NGL | not gonna lie | Same family; often leads into a confession |
| IMO | in my opinion | Making clear it’s just your view |
| FR | for real | Agreeing strongly or stressing you mean it |
The tbh app
“tbh” was also an app. Launched in 2017, it let high school students answer positive multiple-choice polls about each other anonymously, a compliments-only twist on anonymous messaging. It shot to the top of the App Store, and Facebook acquired it in October 2017. Less than a year later, in July 2018, Facebook shut tbh down citing low usage, along with two other apps. One of its creators later built a similar app called Gas, which Discord acquired in 2023.
If you’re looking for that kind of anonymous, mostly-positive feedback today, an anonymous message link does the same job without needing your whole school on one app. Our guide to anonymous compliments apps covers the options.
Get anonymous tbh messages from your friends
Tell Me Anything has a built-in tbh game. When you share your link with it switched on, your friends see “tbh, what do you really think of me? 👀” and can answer without their name attached.
- Create your free link on the Tell Me Anything homepage.
- In your dashboard, tap tbh in the “Pick a game” row.
- Share the link on your Instagram story, WhatsApp Status or Snapchat. The dashboard has a step-by-step story guide.
- Read every answer in your Messages tab. You can reply to the best ones on your story.
Want words filtered out? The Safety section in your profile lets you hide messages that contain words you choose, or pause your link completely.
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