annotating
/ˈænəteɪtɪŋ/
CommonWriting notes, reactions, or highlights directly in a book while reading it.
Divides readers. Some treat writing in books as sacrilege. Annotating culture on BookTok frames it as engagement, creativity, and self-expression.
Real-world examples4 examples
| # | Example | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | i annotate every book i love, can't help it | The speaker marks up books they care about as a natural habit. | tiktok, 2024 |
| 02 | people who say don't write in books have never experienced annotating | Annotating is worth 'ruining' a pristine copy because of how it enhances reading. | x, 2024 |
| 03 | my annotated copy of this book is embarrassing, every page is covered | The book is full of personal notes and reactions. | instagram, 2023 |
| 04 | started annotating this one and now i'm actually understanding it better | Writing notes improved comprehension of a difficult book. | reddit, 2023 |
Use it when
- Someone writes notes in their book margins while reading.
- A reader uses sticky tabs and highlighters to mark passages.
- Someone shares photos of their marked-up book pages.
Do not use it when
- You mean writing a review or summary after finishing a book.
- You mean adding notes to a digital document.
Variations and related forms
Origin and context
The practice is centuries old, but annotating as a BookTok aesthetic and community identity emerged around 2021-2023, driven by creators sharing heavily marked-up pages.
- First seen
- 2021
- Confidence
- medium
Cite this page
Use this stable URL to reference the entry.
https://slang.fyi/annotatingUpdated: 2026-08-28License: CC BY 4.0