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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →KEKW and LULW are laughter reactions widely used in Twitch culture. KEKW shows Spanish comedian Juan Joya Borja, known as El Risitas, laughing intensely; LULW is a cropped and rotated variation of the LUL image associated with gaming commentator John Bain, or TotalBiscuit. Both are generally supplied through third-party emote systems rather than being ordinary Twitch-global emotes, so what you see depends on the channel, client and extensions enabled.
What does KEKW mean?
KEKW usually signals intense laughter, absurdity or a spectacularly entertaining failure. Viewers may post it when a streamer makes a disastrous mistake, a game produces an impossible result, a prediction collapses or a sound alert lands at exactly the right moment. The image’s exaggerated expression makes the reaction feel bigger than an ordinary laugh.
It is not always affectionate. A chat can use KEKW to laugh with a streamer, laugh at an embarrassing mistake or pile onto an awkward moment. Repeated KEKW messages can therefore communicate mockery or schadenfreude as well as genuine amusement. The surrounding messages and that channel’s norms determine which reading is most likely.
The name is commonly linked to the older internet expression “KEK” and to World of Warcraft’s cross-faction chat translation, in which laughter could appear differently to players on opposing factions. The complete naming rationale is not firmly documented, so that explanation should be treated as cultural influence rather than a confirmed creator statement (StreamLadder’s KEKW history; StreamScheme’s explanation; Daily Dot’s discussion of competing explanations).
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Who is the man in KEKW?
The face is Juan Joya Borja, a Spanish comedian and actor better known as El Risitas (“The Giggles”). The source is television interview footage, commonly dated to June 2007 and associated in meme-history coverage with Jesús Quintero’s Spanish program Ratones Coloraos. Borja laughs uncontrollably while telling an anecdote; stills and clips from that appearance later became an internet meme and, years afterward, a Twitch emote (Know Your Meme’s KEKW history; StreamLadder’s image and usage overview).
Secondary tracking commonly places KEKW’s appearance on FrankerFaceZ on August 21, 2019 and on BetterTTV on April 19, 2020. Those dates describe entries in third-party services, not a Twitch-native launch. Borja died on April 28, 2021; the emote continues to refer to the earlier recording and does not imply that he created or endorsed every later use.
What does LULW mean?
LULW is an exaggerated laughter reaction derived from LUL. It can mean “that was funny,” “this failure is hilarious,” or “the situation is absurd.” Some communities use it for a more emphatic or visually dramatic laugh than LUL, while others use the two almost interchangeably.
As with KEKW, LULW can be sincere, ironic or sarcastic. A streamer’s mild joke might receive LUL; an old embarrassing clip replayed by chat might receive LULW; a long chain of ridiculous failures might trigger LULW alongside KEKW or OMEGALUL. None of those interpretations is a fixed dictionary rule.
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LULW belongs to the image lineage of John Bain, the gaming critic and commentator known as TotalBiscuit. The chronology involves several related assets rather than one identical file:
- A photograph of Bain laughing was posted online in 2013.
- Bain used a cropped version as his channel emote
cynicallaughin 2014. - A related version became BetterTTV’s
LULemote in 2016. - Twitch added a redrawn LUL as an official emote on September 1, 2017, according to the documented chronology.
- A cropped and rotated variant was posted to FrankerFaceZ as
LULWon November 2, 2016.
That history explains why LULW is not a wholly separate laughing meme: it is one branch of the TotalBiscuit/LUL image family (LULW chronology; LUL image history).
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What does the “W” in LULW mean?
In emote naming, a trailing W is commonly used for an exaggerated, zoomed-in, wider or otherwise altered version of a base reaction. That convention fits LULW’s visual treatment of LUL. However, no authoritative Twitch rule establishes one universal definition of the letter, and the exact origin of this particular suffix is not conclusively documented. “More exaggerated LUL” is a useful description; “W always means wide” is too definite.
Are KEKW and LULW official Twitch emotes?
The important distinction is between Twitch-native emotes and emotes supplied by outside services.
| Category | Example | Availability is controlled by |
|---|---|---|
| Twitch-native emote or reaction | LUL (including Twitch’s preset “Laugh” clip reaction) |
Twitch |
| Channel subscriber emote | A channel-specific code | The streamer’s channel settings and Twitch approval |
| Third-party emote | KEKW, LULW |
An extension or service, plus channel and client support |
Twitch’s documentation lists :lul: among its preset reactions (Twitch reactions). Current emote directories and meme histories associate KEKW and LULW primarily with services such as BetterTTV and FrankerFaceZ, rather than treating them as ordinary Twitch-global emotes (BetterTTV’s global emotes; KEKW history; LULW history).
Why do I see “KEKW” or “LULW” as plain text?
Plain text usually means the image is unavailable to your chat client, not that the sender used a different meaning. Common causes include:
- The relevant BetterTTV, FrankerFaceZ or 7TV extension is not installed or active.
- The channel has not enabled that service’s emotes.
- The emote exists in one service but not the service your client supports.
- You are using a mobile app, embedded player, alternate client or interface with limited third-party-emote support.
- The emote was renamed, removed or disabled because of moderation, licensing or platform changes.
BetterTTV notes that its global emotes work in chats where BetterTTV is active, illustrating why third-party availability is not the same as Twitch-native availability (BetterTTV global emotes). Installing a compatible extension can help in a supported desktop browser, but it cannot guarantee that every device or channel will render every emote.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.KEKW, LULW, LUL and OMEGALUL compared
The following is a rough community shorthand, not an official intensity scale:
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| Emote | Common reading | Visual or cultural cue |
|---|---|---|
LUL |
General laughter or amusement | The foundational LUL reaction associated with TotalBiscuit |
LULW |
Exaggerated, altered or ironic LUL-style laughter | Cropped and rotated LUL-family image |
KEKW |
Uncontrollable laughter or hilariously absurd failure | El Risitas laughing intensely |
OMEGALUL |
Another extreme or amplified LUL-family laugh | Community-specific variation of the LUL format |
One channel may reserve KEKW for genuine hilarity, while another may use it for almost any funny moment. Treat the visual tone and local usage as clues, not strict definitions.
How to read and use them without misreading the chat
Streamer falls off the map — KEKW: the failure is being treated as extremely funny.Streamer makes a mild joke — LUL: ordinary amusement is the likely signal.Chat replays an old embarrassing clip — LULW: the reaction may be exaggerated or teasing.A ridiculous chain of failures — KEKW + OMEGALUL: multiple amplified laughter reactions reinforce the absurdity.
When in doubt, look at the words around the emotes, whether the streamer is laughing, and whether the chat is repeating the reaction after a mistake. Emote spam can intensify a collective joke or a pile-on, so the same image can feel supportive in one moment and hostile in another.
Adding or accessing emotes
Viewers who want broader third-party coverage can check the current terms and compatibility of BetterTTV, FrankerFaceZ and 7TV. None guarantees access on every app or channel. Streamers manage subscriber emotes in Creator Dashboard → Viewer Rewards → Emotes → Subscriber Emotes; uploaded artwork is subject to Twitch review, with instant upload available to qualifying Partners and Affiliates (Twitch subscriber-emote guide; Creator Dashboard documentation). A subscription grants a channel’s subscriber emotes, not automatically KEKW or LULW.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is KEKW offensive?
The image itself is a laughter reaction, but its use can become mocking when chat laughs at a person’s mistake or piles onto an embarrassing moment. Context matters more than the code alone.
Is LULW the same as LUL?
LULW is a derivative of the LUL image family, usually used as a more exaggerated or altered reaction. Communities may still use the two interchangeably.
Can I use KEKW outside Twitch?
Only if the service or platform supports that emote asset. Availability on Discord, YouTube, Kick or another client is separate from Twitch and may require that platform’s own emote system or an approved integration.
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