What Does 'Aw TYSM' Mean? The Viral TikTok Meme Explained

TikTokers across the app are puzzled after texting their crushes to tell them how cute they are, only to receive the response, "aw TYSM." While some people might read this to mean "aww, thank you so much," others are taking it a completely different way. Here's what "aw TYSM" really means to them and how it became a meme on TikTok.

What Does 'Aw TYSM' Mean?

Back in June 2021, TikToker @Jax.mp4 posted a comedy sketch where he presents a fake text conversation between himself and his crush. In the video, he texts his crush telling her she's cute and she responds, "aw TYSM." The TikToker then humorously remarks, "Autism? She thinks I have autism?"

The joke is that, phonetically, saying "aw TYSM" as it's spelled sounds like "autism," as if the crush is assuming that the texter is autistic. In reality, the text is meant to read, "Aw, thank you so much." The video spread across social media over the following months and inspired others to get in on the joke.

How Is 'Aw TYSM' Used In Memes?

Since 2021, numerous memes using similar jokes to @jax.mp4's viral video have gone viral. Most of these are videos posted to TikTok, where users pretend they received a text from their crush reading "aw TYSM" and act like they misunderstood it to mean "autism." The meme has seen a notable boost in popularity this year, particularly in videos using the phrasing, "Told this girl she looked pretty this morning. She replied back with 'aw tysm.' How tf she know I have that?"

The meme has also spread outside TikTok to site like Reddit, where a couple texting in bed meme using the phrase went particularly viral on /r/me_irl back in 2021.

For the full history of "Aw TYSM," be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.