What is TL;DR?

TL; DR (or tl:dr) = the only internet abbreviation, or acronym, that includes a semicolon (although you may find it in the no semicolon form, TLDR, tldr.)

TL; DR = Too Long; Didn’t Read

Fun fact = Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary accepted “TL;DR” as a word in 2018.

Widely used in the comments section, especially on discussion websites like Reddit; it indicates that the piece (for example an article, blog post or email) is too long, and would require too much time to read.

It’s also used at the beginning or the end of an article, blog post or email to nail down its main point or key message.

Additional fun fact = there is a TL;DR equivalent for long videos—TL;DW,: too long, didn’t watch.

How to avoid a TL:DR “label” on something you have passionately and thoughtfully written? Keep it short and to the point.