“NTM” means “Not too much” generally. But this acronym also has four other full forms depending on the intended usage.
What NTM means on TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, text messages
The letters NTM stand for “Not much“, “Nothing much“, “Not to mention” and “Next to me”, apart from “Not too much“.
“NTM” has been around online since 2015. It is used on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram and text messages. You might also come across it on various forums. Depending on the context, its meaning varies.
1. For example, someone may comment “NTM” on a TikTok reaction video in order to state that the content is not too extreme or over-the-top. In other words, they mean that the person in the video is “not doing too much.” It’s a positive use of this acronym.
2. You might use “NTM” as part of an image caption in an Instagram photo to indicate that the person next to you has a cool dress on – “This sweet old lady NTM is wearing the most adorable dress ever!” – NTM meaning “next to me”, in this case.
3. NTM as “not to mention” is not widely encountered. It is mainly put in place of “as well as”, “in addition to” and similar phrases. Sentence example: “I didn’t know he had the time NTM the budget to completely redo the bedroom by himself”.
4. But the definition of NTM is most popularly accepted to mean “nothing much” or “not much”.
Examples of NTM in a sentence
- “NTM going on in my life right now.” – Not much going on in my life right now.
- “NTM to do, so I’m sleeping.” – Nothing much to do, so I’m sleeping.
When NTM is used as the short form of “not much” or “nothing much” in a text message response, the person using it could be replying in a casual manner in order to end the chat or to indicate that they are interested in continuing the conversation.
So how do you know which is which?
- If you send someone a text saying “What are you doing this weekend?” and they reply with “NTM, what are you up to?” or “NTM, just sitting around and eating cookies”, they are implying that they do want to continue the chat.
- But if they reply with a plain old “NTM”, they may not want to continue talking to you.
In case you get the second reply, you might want to consider giving them some space. Of course, some people hate sending long texts. So your experience and relationship with the person in question should ultimately dictate your next move.
Related post: What does IKYFL mean?
NTM is not safe for work or office emails and texts unless your workplace maintains a very casual communications culture.
| Abbreviation | Meaning | Secondary meanings | Safe for kids/tweens | Usage |
| NTM | Not much | Not too much, nothing much, not to mention, next to me | Yes | Informal, casual, neutral tone |
Online slang is an ever-evolving phenomenon. “Abbreviations” like NTM rise and fall in popularity. Those with multiple connotations have the highest chance of disappearing from Internet-speak since the meaning can get confusing due to the very fact that they stand for more than one thing.
What is our opinion on whether NTM will stick around? Not very likely. It’ll soon be passé, according to us. It’s just too forgettable.
