TMRW means tomorrow. Dictionary.com lists it as an abbreviation of tomorrow used especially in online communication, and Wiktionary files it as internet and text messaging slang. 'See you tmrw' just means see you tomorrow. You'll also see tmr, tmw and 2mrw, which mean the same thing.
Tmrw is about as simple as text slang gets: drop the vowels, keep the shape of the word. But it has a surprisingly long paper trail, a few cousins you might confuse it with, and a root that goes back to an Old English word for morning. Here's everything worth knowing, including when it's fine to use and when it isn't.
Tmrw in plain English
Dictionary.com defines tmrw as an abbreviation meaning tomorrow, used especially in online communication. Wiktionary gives the same meaning and tags it as internet slang and text messaging. It's an adverb, so it slots in exactly where tomorrow would: 'can't tonight, tmrw?' or 'talk tmrw x'.
Wiktionary also puts tmrw in its category of English words spelled without vowels, alongside other texting shorthand. That's the trick: your brain fills in the missing letters because the consonants keep the word's outline.
Tmrw, tmr, tmw and 2mrw: the family
Different people shorten tomorrow in different ways, and all of them are understood.
| Spelling | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|
| tmrw | Abbreviation of tomorrow | Dictionary.com, Wiktionary |
| tmr | Text messaging abbreviation of tomorrow | Wiktionary |
| tmw | Listed as a synonym of tmr | Wiktionary |
| 2mrw | Alternative form of tmrw | Wiktionary |
Which one you use is mostly habit. Tmrw keeps the most letters, so it's the easiest for someone unfamiliar with text slang to decode. Tmr and tmw are quicker but more ambiguous, because three-letter strings often have other meanings. If you're messaging someone older, or someone who isn't a native English speaker, tmrw or the full word is the kinder choice.
Tmr is the shortest, and Wiktionary lists tmw as its synonym. 2mrw swaps the 'to' sound for the number 2, the same trick as 2nite for tonight. There's one quirk with tmr: Wiktionary notes that it's also the international language code for Jewish Babylonian Aramaic, which is about as far from a group chat as a three-letter code can get.
Tmrw is older than texting
Here's the part I love. Wiktionary's earliest quotation for tmrw is from 1972, in Irving E. Fang's book Television News. It reproduces a weather script that reads 'tmrw and Sun. we expect 80'. Newsrooms were squeezing words to fit scripts and wire copy long before anyone typed on a phone keypad.
It went mainstream with social media. Wiktionary quotes a post from the White House account dated 22 December 2011 in which President Obama wrote that he'd talk about something 'tmrw @ 12:15ET'. The line was later quoted in Tevi Troy's 2013 book on presidents and popular culture. If tmrw was good enough for a White House post, it's good enough for your group chat.
By 2012 it was showing up in fiction for teenagers. Wiktionary quotes Jessica Burkhart's novel Popular, where characters text 'Can't talk 2nite. Tmrw?' and 'C u tmrw'. Authors use it to make dialogue feel like real messages.
Where the word tomorrow comes from
The full word has an older story. Merriam-Webster traces tomorrow to Middle English to morgen, from Old English tō morgen: to, meaning at or on, plus morgen, meaning morrow or morning. It dates the adverb to the 13th century and the noun to the 14th century. So when you type tmrw, you're shortening a phrase that once meant 'on the morning'.
Wiktionary adds that the word used to be written as two words, to morrow, which it marks obsolete, and later with a hyphen, to-morrow, which it marks dated. It quotes Charles Dickens in 1855 writing about 'eight o'clock to-morrow evening'. It also points out the cousins in other languages: German and Dutch both use morgen, Danish says i morgen and Swedish imorgon, while French went its own way with demain.
An odd old phrase: tomorrow month
One of Wiktionary's quotations shows a sense we've mostly lost. A House of Commons debate from 28 March 1664 resolved to call the House over again 'on Tomorrow Month', meaning a month from tomorrow. Wiktionary marks this use as possibly obsolete. It's a nice reminder that even plain words like tomorrow have shifted over time.
Not sure how to reply to a message like that? The UR meaning page helps.
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How to reply to a tmrw message
Most tmrw messages are about plans, so the best reply confirms the detail that's missing. If someone writes 'tmrw?', they're asking whether tomorrow works. A clear answer names a time as well as a yes, because 'tmrw' on its own leaves the when wide open.
- 'Tmrw works, 10am?' Confirms the day and pins down the time.
- 'Can't tmrw, Thursday?' Turns it down and offers another day in one line.
- 'Talk tmrw x' Ends the chat warmly with a promise to pick it up again.
If you're messaging across countries, remember that your tomorrow might already be their today. A quick 'tmrw my time' saves a lot of confusion, and it's the kind of small courtesy people notice.
People often ask about the next one, and the PLS meaning page answers.
When to use tmrw, and when to spell it out
Tmrw is completely normal in personal messages, social replies and quick chats with colleagues you know well. It's informal, though, so I'd spell it out in a few places:
- Emails to clients or anyone you haven't worked with before.
- Anything with a deadline, where 'tmrw' could be misread across time zones.
- Job applications, invoices and formal requests.
- Captions where you want to sound polished rather than chatty.
If you're writing a deadline, it's often clearer to name the day than to say tomorrow at all, and my guide to EOD explains why vague timing causes so many crossed wires. For sign-offs, tmrw often sits next to TTYS and CYA, so if a friend ends a message with 'cya tmrw', they're simply saying see you tomorrow.
Frequently asked questions
What does tmrw mean in texting?
It means tomorrow. Dictionary.com lists it as an abbreviation used especially in online communication.
Is tmr the same as tmrw?
Yes. Wiktionary lists tmr as a text messaging abbreviation of tomorrow, with tmw as a synonym.
What does 2mrw mean?
It's another way to write tomorrow. Wiktionary lists it as an alternative form of tmrw.
How old is the abbreviation tmrw?
Wiktionary quotes it in a 1972 television news weather script, long before texting.
Where does the word tomorrow come from?
Merriam-Webster traces it to Old English tō morgen, meaning on the morning.
Is it rude to write tmrw in an email?
Not rude, but it's informal, so spell out tomorrow in work or client emails.
