thx

thx — abbreviation

1. A short way of writing 'thanks' or 'thank you' in text messages, instant message

1.abbreviationA2
Definition

A short way of writing 'thanks' or 'thank you' in text messages, instant messages, social media posts, and other informal digital writing.

Example

Thx for getting us the movie tickets, Wei!

abbreviation used as standalone opener before 'for + noun phrase'

Linh, thx so much for helping me move this weekend.

Common collocations
  • thx for
  • big thx
  • many thx
  • quick thx
Synonyms
  • thanks

    the full form of the same expression; used in both speech and informal writing

  • ty

    another abbreviation for 'thank you', common in gaming chat and online messaging; shorter than 'thx'

  • tks

    an alternative abbreviation for 'thanks', less common than 'thx'

Grammar Patterns

used at beginning or end of message

used as single-word utterance

Usage Note

Used only in informal digital writing — never in formal letters, academic work, or professional emails. Unlike the full word 'thanks', 'thx' is not spoken aloud except when reading a typed message.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: abbreviation/1

All four express gratitude, but their contexts differ sharply. 'Thank you' is the full, polite form suitable for any situation — formal letters, work emails, or spoken thanks. 'Thanks' is the casual spoken and written version, fine in most informal and semi-formal settings. 'Thx' and 'ty' are exclusively digital abbreviations: 'thx' appears in text messages, tweets, and chat messages as a quick typed shorthand for 'thanks', while 'ty' is even shorter and more common in gaming chat and instant-messaging platforms. Neither 'thx' nor 'ty' is used in speech or formal writing — a learner who writes 'thx' in an email to a professor would sound rude or careless.

thx ↗thanks ↗thank youty

Etymology

EnglishInternet / Text-message shorthand

'Thx' is a shortened form of 'thanks', created by removing most of the letters while keeping the recognizable beginning and ending sounds. It emerged in the late 1990s and early 2000s alongside other text-message abbreviations driven by character limits on mobile phones and early instant-messaging platforms.