About

ATP is an internet slang term primarily used as a short-form way of saying the phrase "At This Point" in text. Online, the phrase has gained significant usage starting after 2020, with it gaining virality on the video content platform TikTok in early 2023. The slang term has also received interest because it is used as the abbreviation for "Adenosine Triphosphate," known as the source of energy in a cell.

Origin

On July 16th, 2010, Urban Dictionary user Hot Dayummm^[1] created the earliest definition for the acronym that used the phrase. This term, with the example given of "atp idek what to believe anymore" earned over 420 upvotes in 14 years (shown below).

Spread

On social media, the slang term saw usage slowly over the following years, with users inserting it into their posts as a short-form way of saying "At This Point" in casual conversation. For example, on October 15th, 2018, X users @Dra2go_^[2] and @__MiaJane^[3] both used the phrase in two different contexts with it still meaning the same thing (shown below).

Starting in 2023, TikTokers began to use the phrase in many of their videos, captions and comments. This led to TikTok content being made to explain what the acronym means and how to use it. On June 12th, 2023, TikToker HanginWithAllie^[4] uploaded a video in which they talked about how they first saw the phrase and then explained what it means, garnering over 50 likes in one year (shown below).

Various Examples

Search Interest

External References