DNF
/diː ɛn ɛf/
Very CommonDid Not Finish. Abandoning a book before reaching the end.
Some readers feel guilt about DNFing. Book communities have largely shifted to treating it as self-care. A DNF review can be more useful than a forced four-star review from someone who pushed through reluctantly.
Real-world examples5 examples
| # | Example | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | DNFed at 40% and I regret nothing, life is short | The person stopped reading without guilt and stands by the decision. | x, 2024 |
| 02 | should I DNF this or does it get better after chapter 10 | Asking the community whether pushing through the slow section is worth it. | reddit, 2024 |
| 03 | leaving a DNF review because someone should have warned me about that subplot | Posting a review despite not finishing, to alert other readers to something problematic. | tiktok, 2023 |
| 04 | the DNF pile grows and honestly so does my peace of mind | The reader is comfortable abandoning books and feels better for it. | instagram, 2024 |
| 05 | I DNF books now. this is my villain era. | Framing the decision to stop finishing every book as a rebellious or liberating shift. | x, 2023 |
Use it when
- Announcing you stopped reading a book before the end.
- Reviewing a book you did not finish and explaining why.
- Asking someone if they think a slow-starting book is worth pushing through.
Do not use it when
- You just mean you have not read the book yet.
Variations and related forms
Origin and context
Borrowed from sports, where DNF means a competitor did not finish a race. Adopted by Goodreads users to log abandoned books and became standard vocabulary in all book communities.
- First seen
- 2010s
- Confidence
- medium
Cite this page
Use this stable URL to reference the entry.
https://slang.fyi/dnf-bookUpdated: 2026-08-28License: CC BY 4.0