Explaining TikTok Shorthand: The Many Meanings Of “ATP”

Learning how to navigate TikTok can seem simple, at least when compared to the task of understanding all of the terms that you often see and hear in TikTok videos.

You may be a millennial who grew up in the days of AOL, Yahoo Chat, and MySpace — and fully familiar with shorthand like LOL, BRB, TTYL, and IMHO — but you can still feel like an outsider when other TikTok users freely use acronyms, words, and phrases like “GYAT,” “NPC,” “rizz,” “no bones day,” and “hawk tuah.”

One TikTok-ism you’ll come across regularly on the social media platform is “ATP.” What does it mean? It’s hard to say because the abbreviation can be used in several different ways.

Defining “ATP” on TikTok

When trying to understand an unfamiliar reference on TikTok, it often helps to look at the context it’s used in. For ATP, context is essential.

Here are the meanings that “ATP” can have in TikTok content.

• At This Point: This is a fairly common definition for ATP on TikTok and all other social apps; in fact, it’s often used in texts, memos, and other types of communication as well as on TikTok. It describes the current status of whatever developing situation is being discussed.
• Answer the Phone: ATP can be taken literally if someone is trying to call you, you’re not picking up, and they’re texting you or hitting you up online to get your attention. It’s also sometimes used as a graphic comedic element in TikTok content when someone is depicted refusing to answer their phone.
• Aged to Perfection: This usage of ATP is more likely to be seen on platforms with user bases that skew older. “Aged to perfection” is a description that seniors often use to describe their stage in life in positive terms.
• Adenosine Triphosphate: The molecules that provide energy to cells are unlikely to be the subject of TikTok videos — but on an app with 2+ billion users worldwide, you never know.

It’s a pretty good assumption that “ATP” on TikTok means “at this point,” but it’s a good idea to understand the context of its use before responding inappropriately and making yourself look silly.