When someone reads a message and doesn’t respond to it
Being “left on read” is an experience we’ve all had and it’s never fun. It’s what happens when you send a message to someone, they read it, but they don’t reply. This expression is born out of the frustration of being seemingly ignored by the message recipient.
The term came into existence after the introduction of “read receipts” by Apple in 2011. This feature, which later became popular across all messaging services, notifies you when your message has been read by the recipient. It’s a handy tool, but it can also lead to frustration when the person you messaged doesn’t respond.
Most messaging services give you the option to turn off read receipts. This means that the sender doesn’t know when you’ve read their message. But if you keep this feature on and don’t reply quickly, it can leave the sender feeling frustrated and ignored. This phenomenon led to the creation of the term “left on read”. There’s no clear origin for the term, but it started to gain popularity in 2017.
Being left on read can make you feel undervalued. It’s like the person you messaged doesn’t think you’re important enough to reply to. This feeling of being ignored can be particularly annoying in certain situations.
For instance, when you’re in a hurry and need some information from the person you messaged, but they don’t respond. Or when you’re anxiously waiting for a reply to a significant question – like asking someone out or confessing something embarrassing. It’s even worse when the person who left you on read updates their social media, clearly showing they’ve seen your message but chosen not to respond.
While it might be tempting to call them out publicly on social media, it’s best not to. It’ll only make things worse. So, the next time you’re left on read, try not to take it too personally. It’s a common experience, and we’ve all been there.
Example for using ‘Left On Read’ in a conversation
Hey, did you see the video I sent you earlier? 📹
Yeah, I watched it. It was hilarious! 😂
Glad you liked it! So, what did you think of that new restaurant we went to last night? 🍽️
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Related Slang Words You Might Be Interested In
| Slang | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Irish Goodbye | Exiting without announcing your departure |
| Hacktivism | Activism through hacking, Hacktivism |
| Thang | 'Thang' is slang for 'Thing' |
| BUF | Big ugly fellow |
| GOW2 | Gears of War 2 |