GIF

noun

ˈgif How to pronounce GIF (audio) ˈjif How to pronounce GIF (audio)
plural GIFs
: a computer file format for the compression and storage of visual digital information
also : an image or video stored in this format
Using emoji, emoticons and GIFs in a texted conversation instantly signals the difference between sincerity and a joke or sarcasm. — Jenna Wortham
see also reaction gif

Examples of GIF in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Again, as the wide player surveys his options in frame two of the GIF below, Haaland’s run is to the back post, while Marmoush can’t quite match Doku’s pace to attack the space between the backtracking centre-halves. — Thom Harris, The Athletic, 25 Mar. 2025 As Fast Company noted, the online poppers retailer Nitro-Solv appears to have shut down, and the website for Pac-West Distributing, one producer of the iconic Rush poppers, now has just a single GIF. — James Factora, Them, 14 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

graphics interchange format

First Known Use

1987, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of GIF was in 1987

Phrases Containing GIF

Browse Nearby Words

Giessen
GIF
gifblaar
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“GIF.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/GIF. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on GIF

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about GIF

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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