AFK definition: what "AFK" means and examples

Born in chat rooms and gaming, AFK is now used as a general term for being physically or mentally absent. If a teenager is "AFK," they might have put their phone down to eat dinner or simply stopped paying attention to a conversation. It is often used as a status update in group chats to explain a lack of immediate response. In a more metaphorical sense, it can describe someone who seems "spaced out" or disconnected from reality. For parents, understanding AFK helps you realise that when they don't reply, they are often just occupied with a physical task rather than deliberately ignoring you.

Examples:

1. "Sorry, I was AFK for a bit because I had to help my mum with the shopping."
2. "Is he AFK? He hasn't moved his character in the game for ten minutes."
3. "I’m going AFK for an hour to finish my homework, so don't call me."