im

im — noun

1. a brief text sent from one person to another over the internet using a chat prog

1.nounB1
Definition

a brief text sent from one person to another over the internet using a chat program or app, allowing a near-instant two-way written conversation.

Example

Nora sent me an im last night to confirm the time of the meeting.

collocation: send (someone) an im

I received an im from my boss telling me the project was due on Friday.

collocation: receive an im from [someone]

Common collocations
  • send an im
  • receive an im
  • reply to an im
  • im pops up
  • unread ims
Synonyms
  • DM

    refers specifically to private messages on social media platforms like Instagram or Twitter

  • text message

    sent via mobile phone networks (SMS) rather than the internet

Grammar Patterns

im + verb (send, receive, reply to)

im + pop up / appear

Usage Note

Usually written in lowercase in informal contexts. The plural form is 'ims' (e.g., 'I have five unread ims').

Common Mistakes

I sent you an IM.
I sent you an im.
as an informal term, 'im' is typically written in lowercase even in messages.

2. the technology or platform that lets people send and receive written messages in

2.nounB1
Definition

the technology or platform that lets people send and receive written messages in real time over the internet, without the delays of email.

Example

We use im at work for quick questions instead of sending emails.

collocation: use im for [purpose]

Christopher prefers im over phone calls because it feels less distracting.

collocation: prefer im over [alternative]

Common collocations
  • use im
  • im system
  • im platform
  • im service
  • via im
Synonyms
  • instant messaging

    the full form of the abbreviation

  • chat

    a more general term that can also refer to voice or video calls

Grammar Patterns

im + noun (system, platform, service)

use / prefer im

through im / via im

Usage Note

Used as an uncountable noun referring to the method of communication, not to individual messages. Often appears without an article ('We communicate via im').

3. a type of swimming competition in which each athlete swims four different styles

3.nounB2
Definition

a type of swimming competition in which each athlete swims four different styles — butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle — in sequence over the same distance.

Example

Bilal won the 200-meter im at the national swimming championships last March.

collocation: win the [distance] im

The 400-meter im requires swimmers to be strong in all four strokes equally.

collocation: [distance] im + requires / demands

Common collocations
  • swim the im
  • 200-meter im
  • 400-meter im
  • im event
  • im time
  • win an im
Synonyms
  • medley

    a shorter form used in informal swimming contexts, e.g., 'He swims medley'

Grammar Patterns

distance + im (200m im, 400m im)

verb (swim / win) + the + distance + im

Usage Note

Often written in uppercase as IM in swimming contexts, especially in competition schedules and results tables. Always used with a distance prefix ('200m IM', '400m IM').

Common Mistakes

He swam the 200-meter im using only freestyle.
The 200-meter im includes all four strokes equally.
the IM event must use all four strokes in the specified order.

im — verb

Word family

  • instant message
    nounB1
  • instant messaging
    nounB1
  • individual medley
    nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

The terms 'im', 'DM', 'text message', and 'chat message' all refer to digital written communication, but they differ by platform and formality. 'im' (instant message) is the broadest term, covering messages sent through any internet-based chat service like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, or Slack. 'DM' (direct message) is platform-specific, referring to private messages on social media such as Instagram or Twitter — a DM is always a one-to-one or small-group message within a larger social platform. 'Text message' uses cellular networks (SMS/MMS) rather than the internet and feels slightly more formal and permanent. 'Chat message' is more general and can appear in group spaces as well as private conversations. For example: 'I sent him an im on Slack' (workplace), 'She slid into my DMs on Instagram' (social media), 'I got a text message about the appointment' (phone).

im ↗DMtext messagechat message

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • send an im
  • get an im
  • reply by im
  • im back and forth

Prepositions

Etymology

English

'im' is an initialism formed from the first letters of the words it stands for. The messaging senses come from 'instant message' and 'instant messaging', a term that appeared in the mid-1990s with the rise of internet chat programs such as ICQ and AOL Instant Messenger (AIM). The sports sense abbreviates 'individual medley', a swimming event whose name has been used in competitive swimming since the early 20th century.