Gameplay & Mechanics: English Vocabulary List

(gaming) to kill instantly with a single hit

"He got a one-shot kill!"

"The sniper managed to one-shot the enemy from across the map, which completely shocked the entire opposing team."

a 1990s-style first-person shooter focused on fast-paced action rather than realism

"He loves retro boomer shooters."

"The retro game was a boomer shooter with fast movement health packs and keys to collect."

(in Fortnite) to build rapid 90-degree turns repeatedly to gain height; used in the progressive form

"He practiced for hours to crank 90s in the game."

"The professional Fortnite player demonstrated his skill by rapidly cranking 90s to gain a significant height advantage."

the act of deliberately losing a game, or playing so poorly that it causes the team to lose

"The player was banned for gamethrowing."

"The player was banned for gamethrowing because he intentionally helped the opposing team win."

(plural only) the body parts or organs of a game character after being blown apart

"There were gibs everywhere."

"The explosion was so powerful that it turned the enemy into a shower of gory gibs across the battlefield."

a state of extreme skill or invincibility, often in gaming

"The cheat code enabled god mode."

"I felt like I was in god mode after finding the cheat code that made my character invincible."

the best possible combination of randomly rolled perks on a weapon or item in a video game

"He finally got the god roll gun."

"He farmed the boss for weeks until he finally got the god roll weapon with perfect stats."

to completely defeat a rival or opponent, particularly in a video game

"The gamer pwned his opponents completely."

"The professional gamer was able to pwn all of his opponents in the online tournament easily."

(gaming) to use necromancy or bring something back from the dead

"Do not necro old forum threads."

"Please do not necro old forum threads that have been inactive for several years because it is very annoying to other users."

to weaken a game mechanic, ability, or character to reduce its effectiveness

"The game update nerfed my favorite character."

"The game developers decided to nerf the overpowered weapon because players were complaining that it was ruining the competitive balance."

(gaming) to kill an enemy with a single shot

"She can one-tap anyone easily."

"He's so skilled that he can one-tap most opponents before they even realize he's aiming at them."

(gaming) a fast kill made with a sniper rifle immediately after scoping in

"The sniper landed a quickscope."

"The sniper's quickscope was so fast that the enemy died before the scope fully opened."

a combination of actions, often coordinated between teammates, that creates a decisive advantage in a game

"The team executed a perfect wombo combo."

"The team executed a wombo combo that froze stunned and wiped out the entire opposing team."

the most powerful ability or move available to a character in a game

"His ult turned the team fight."

"He saved his ultimate ability for the final team fight and used it to secure the victory."

a cheap or exploitative tactic in a game

"That move was pure cheese."

"Using that overpowered strategy is considered cheese by most experienced players."

(gaming) to die repeatedly in a game, usually helping the enemy team by giving them points or advantages

"He will feed the enemy again."

"If you constantly die without achieving anything, you're just going to feed the opposing team."

to perform poorly or fail unexpectedly when winning or favored to win

"He will choke."

"The star player seemed to choke under the immense pressure of the championship game."

to defeat someone, especially in a game or competitive setting

"We will clap them easily."

"Our team is so much better; we're going to clap the opposition in this tournament."

to dominate or defeat an opponent, especially in gaming

"I will own you."

"The experienced player will easily own the novice in their first competitive match."

(gaming) to strengthen, enhance, or improve a feature, ability, or item

"They will buff the sword."

"The developers decided to buff the character's main ability to increase its effectiveness."