Meaning & use
texting
Last updated
“texting” is a form of “text”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
noununcountable
The activity of sending short written messages using a mobile phone.
Grammar: Used as a mass noun for the activity: Texting is popular, not A texting is popular.
Patterns
- texting while driving
- the texting habit
- do a lot of texting
Texting while driving is illegal in many countries.
Her texting kept the whole group in touch during the trip.
Teachers often complain about texting during class.
verbtransitive or intransitive
The present participle of 'text': sending someone a short written message by phone.
Grammar: As a participle it needs a form of 'be' or works in a reduced clause: She is texting, or Texting me every day, he forgot to call.
Patterns
- be texting someone
- be texting about something
- texting someone back
He's texting his sister to say he'll be late.
They were texting each other all evening.
Stop texting me during the meeting.
Word forms
| base form | text |
|---|---|
| third person singular | texts |
| past tense | texted |
| past participle | texted |
| -ing form | texting |
Common combinations
- texting while driving
- Texting while driving causes thousands of accidents each year.
- stop texting
- Please stop texting and listen to me.
- texting back
- She was texting back so fast that she missed her bus stop.
- constant texting
- His constant texting annoyed everyone at dinner.
- texting habit
- Breaking a texting habit is harder than it sounds.
Synonyms and how they differ
- messaging
- Broader and more modern: it covers any app or platform, while 'texting' often suggests SMS on a phone.
- chatting
- Suggests a back-and-forth conversation; 'texting' can be one short message with no reply.
Word family
Commonly confused: texting or sexting?
texting vs sexting
Sexting means sending sexually explicit messages or images; it is a different, more specific word and should not be confused with ordinary texting.
Practice
Choose the sentence that uses 'texting' correctly.
Choose one answer.
As an uncountable noun, 'texting' names the activity and fits after a subject with a singular verb. Option A should be 'a text', C wrongly adds 'a' before the -ing form, and D makes an uncountable noun plural.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “texting”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.