KEKW

/keh-kwuh/

interjection · emote · noun

KEKW signals intense laughter, especially at a ridiculous fail or unexpected moment in Twitch-style chat.

#internet slang
#Twitch emotes
#gaming chat
#reaction memes

Meaning

KEKW is a Twitch-style reaction meaning something is extremely funny—roughly “I’m dying laughing” or “that is hilariously ridiculous.” People post it when a streamer fails, says something funny, or an unexpected disaster unfolds. It can express sincere amusement or laughter at someone else’s mistake, so the surrounding moment determines whether it feels affectionate, teasing, or mocking. The same text may appear as lowercase “kekw,” while the image is a cropped laughing face associated with Spanish comedian Juan Joya Borja, also known as El Risitas.[2][3]

1. A strong laughter reaction in Twitch and gaming chat, comparable to “I’m crying laughing.”
2. A reaction to an absurd failure, mishap, or unexpectedly funny moment; in that context it can tease the person involved rather than simply celebrate them.
3. The name of a third-party emote showing a cropped image of Juan Joya Borja laughing, rather than an official Twitch global emote.

A tightly cropped, low-resolution face with narrowed eyes and an open mouth in an exaggerated laughing expression. — This laughing-face crop is the recognizable image associated with KEKW, a Twitch-style reaction used to signal intense amusement, often at an absurd moment or mistake. Source

Examples

“That timing was so bad KEKW”

“He missed the obvious jump and the chat filled with KEKW.”

“KEKW, I did not expect the tutorial boss to win.”

“The joke was funny, but the KEKW replies made the mistake feel a little roasted.”

Origin and spread

The recognizable face comes from a June 2007 Spanish television interview with comedian Juan Joya Borja, known as El Risitas, on Ratones Coloraos. The modern emote is separate from that older video: Know Your Meme documents that FrankerFaceZ user Keesual submitted KEKW on August 21, 2019, using a still of Borja laughing. Its documented Twitch spread followed through prominent streamers including xQc and AdmiralBulldog. The name is commonly explained as KEK, associated with World of Warcraft’s faction-specific rendering of “LOL,” plus W, a pattern associated with exaggerated Twitch emote variants. The retrieved evidence does not establish who first coined the exact string independently of the emote submission, and the specific naming decision behind the W is not firmly documented.[1][4]

How to use it

Use KEKW for conspicuous amusement, particularly when a live moment becomes absurd or someone fails spectacularly. It is more platform- and image-associated than ordinary LOL, and can sound like good-natured teasing or mockery when aimed at a person’s mistake. The text is safer than assuming the image will render: KEKW originated through third-party emote systems such as FrankerFaceZ, BetterTTV, and 7TV. Informal rankings such as LUL < KEKW < OMEGALUL are community conventions, not universal rules.

Why it can sound like roasting

KEKW often appears after a fail or absurd mistake, so it may laugh at the situation and the person involved at the same time. Read the surrounding chat before treating it as purely affectionate.[1][3]

The image may not appear everywhere

KEKW is a third-party emote associated with services such as FrankerFaceZ, rather than an official Twitch global emote. Plain-text KEKW is the clearest cross-platform version.[2][3]

Not a fixed laughter scale

Some explainers place KEKW above LUL and below OMEGALUL for intensity, but that ordering is an informal convention and real usage overlaps.[3]

Questions people ask

Is KEKW the same as LOL?

Both express laughter, but LOL is a general text abbreviation. KEKW carries a stronger Twitch and gaming-chat identity and is associated with a specific laughing-face emote.[2][3]

Who is shown in the KEKW image?

The image is a cropped laughing still of Spanish comedian Juan Joya Borja, better known as El Risitas. It comes from a June 2007 Spanish television interview.[1][3]

Was KEKW already the emote in 2007?

No such conclusion is supported. The 2007 date documents the source interview; the specific emote is documented by Keesual’s FrankerFaceZ submission on August 21, 2019.[1][4]