Word of the day · 4 May 2026
larping
/ˈlɑːrpɪŋ/
noun
Participating in a live-action role-playing game; online, also accusing someone of play-acting a persona or belief they do not truly live.
In a sentence
- The park was full of students larping with foam swords.
- Critics said the celebrity’s sudden activism was larping.
- Weekend larping requires clear safety rules.
In an image
Origin
From the acronym LARP (live-action role-playing), turned into a verb and gerund in gaming communities, then into political and culture-war slang.
History
Hobbyists spend weekends larping as knights or futures with costumes and rules. Internet argument culture borrowed the word to claim an opponent’s identity or outrage is costume. The insult sense is looser than the hobby sense. People search it when a comment says “larping” without the foam swords.
Nearby words
role-play · cosplay · pretense
Role-play in a field or the charge that someone is only pretending.