oldfriend
/ˈoʊldfrɛnd/
UncommonA veteran member of an online community who knows its history, culture, and unwritten rules.
Can carry genuine respect or be used mockingly against someone who keeps invoking how things used to be. Being an oldfriend is only a status advantage until the community outgrows caring about it.
Real-world examples3 examples
| # | Example | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | oldfriends remember when this place was actually good | Veteran members share nostalgia for an earlier era of the community. | Example |
| 02 | not every oldfriend is right just because they've been here longer | Longevity does not automatically make someone's opinion correct. | |
| 03 | the oldfriends migrated over here after the other site died | Long-time members of a dead community moved to a new one. |
Use it when
- Referring to a long-time member who knows the community's history.
- Explaining why someone's opinion carries weight from longevity.
- Ironically mocking someone who constantly invokes the old days.
Do not use it when
- You mean a literal old person.
- You are in a mainstream community where the term will seem strange.Use “veteran member” instead.
Oldfriend vs newfriend
oldfriend
Oldfriend has been around long enough to know the community inside out.
VS
newfriend
Newfriend just arrived and is still learning the unwritten rules.
Origin and context
Parallel construction to newfriend, emerging from the same imageboard culture. Became the counterpart term used by veterans distinguishing themselves from new arrivals.
- First seen
- mid-2000s
- Confidence
- medium
Cite this page
Use this stable URL to reference the entry.
https://slang.fyi/oldfriendUpdated: 2026-08-28License: CC BY 4.0