keysmash meaning (slang): definition, etymology and quotations

keysmash

noun

US /ˈki.smæʃ/

Etymology From key + smash.

Slang A haphazard striking of keys on a keyboard to convey frustration, laughter, or other emotion; the text so produced.

Even keysmash, that haphazard mashing of fingers against keyboard to signal a feeling so intense that you can't possibly type real words, has patterns. A typical keysmash might look like "asdljklgafdlik." or "asdfkfjas;dfs"—quite distinct from, say, a cat walking across the keyboard […]2019, Gretchen McCulloch, Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language, Riverhead Books, →ISBN, page 6:
These seemingly nonsensical turns of phrase carry intricate meanings: the keysmash "sksksk" can be described as an awkward laugh, […]2019, Alexa Atlas, "VSCO girl trend takes over East hallways", Eastside (Cherry Hill High School East), October/November 2019, page 21

1 more example

And it's more pronounceable than a traditional keysmash—“as;ldfkjls”—so it can be said out loud.2020 January 4, Zachary Jaggers, “3 Internet language trends from 2019, explained”, in Business Mirror, page A10:

verb

Etymology From key + smash.

Slang To type aggressively or randomly mash keys on a keyboard.

[…] or I keysmash my feelings away every time there is an attractive picture of them that surfaced on the internet and since every picture is an attractive picture, let's just say my keyboard knows the pain I have to go through.2013 February, Olivia Solomon, “Idol Worship and the Life Ruiners of Ecosoc”, in Echoes, University of the Philippines, page 50:
It's an abbreviation of the word "feelings," probably because it's easier to type a five letter word or to keysmash.2013, Carolyn Hsu, "JustTumblrLanguage.Tumblr.com", The Apache Pow Wow (Arcadia High School, Arcadia, California), Volume 61, Issue 3, November 2013, page 17

1 more example

I also heard from several people who use the Dvorak keyboard, where the home row begins with vowels rather than ASDF, who reported that they just don't bother keysmashing anymore at all because their layout makes it socially illegible.2020, Gretchen McCulloch, Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language, page 7:

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.