{"id":4453,"date":"2022-06-09T17:51:03","date_gmt":"2022-06-09T17:51:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/?p=4453"},"modified":"2022-06-09T17:51:03","modified_gmt":"2022-06-09T17:51:03","slug":"imao-meaning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/imao-meaning\/","title":{"rendered":"IMAO \u2013 Meaning, Origin and Usage"},"content":{"rendered":"

Are you looking to comment on your friend's posts and bring them down a notch? You could use \"IMAO<\/em>\" when telling them your opinion. This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression.<\/p>\n

Meaning<\/h2>\n

The acronym \"IMAO<\/em>\" stands for \"In My arrogant Opinion<\/em>.\" It's a text-based acronym used for giving people your opinion online and in text conversations. If you use \"IMAO<\/em>,\" you're telling the other person that their idea needs improvement and they should consider altering their strategy.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The phrase appears as \u201cIMAO<\/em>\u201d and \u201cimao\u201d<\/em> online. There is no difference in meaning between the two spellings. However, it's common for people to confuse IMAO with LMAO. So, it's better to spell it in lower-case to avoid confusion with the other party to the conversation.<\/p>\n

Example Usage<\/h2>\n

\u201cIMAO, you need to think about what you\u2019re doing with that money. Spending it on that item is a bad choice, and you\u2019ll regret it later.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know what to say about that. It\u2019s so shocking, and I think you need to reconsider your choice, imao.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have too much going on right now to be effective with your job, imao. You need to stop spreading yourself so thin and focus on one client at a time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is no way you\u2019re going to win, IMAO. The field of competition is too thick, and you\u2019re competing against division one athletes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIMAO, I think that going to the Bahamas for a vacation is a waste of money. You\u2019re better off staying home this summer and saving the cash.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy on earth would you do that? That\u2019s a waste of time, imao. You could do so much better with another job that stimulates you creatively.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIMAO, you don\u2019t need that. It\u2019s a waste of money, and you would do better with saving towards something worthwhile.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat dress is a mistake, imao. Return it tomorrow and get something nice. That\u2019s a monstrosity.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\" \"\"<\/p>\n

Origin<\/h2>\n

The acronym \"IMAO\" originates from the advent of text messaging in the early 2000s. Text changed how we communicate, leading to the abbreviation of many popular sayings. Users abbreviate expressions in text messages to avoid typing out the entire phrase.<\/p>\n

IMAO (In My Arrogant Opinion) is the opposite of \"IMHO\" (In My Humble Opinion). It means that you exaggerate claims or have a huge sense of self-importance.<\/p>\n

According to the experts, \"imao\" originates from the movie \"Forgetting Sarah Marshall,\" released in 2008. Actor-writer Jason Segel and director Nicholas Stoller used the acronym in the film. The film was a hit, and it wasn't long before people started using \"imao\" in their text messages.<\/p>\n

The phrase also has a variant, \"IMMAO\" \"in my most arrogant opinion,\" conflating the arrogance of the user. It may also appear as \"IMNSHO\" (In My Not So Humble Opinion), where the user's arrogance seems subtle.<\/p>\n