orz (also known as OTL) is an JAPANESE emoticon used to express one’s feeling of hopelessness in jest, often as a result of failure.
O = head
T = arms to the ground
L = legs
The ASCII-art prototype “＿|￣|○” subsequently spread across the Japanese blogs and forums like Futaba Channel and Nico Nico Douga circa 2002, where it became used as a humorous way of conveying frustration or despair. Soon, the emoticon evolved into other variant formats, most notably OTL and Orz.
Beginning in 2003, The emoticon entered usage on the Korean web through the imageboard site DCInside, where the concept of “orz” quickly evolved into an image macro phenomenon depicting various characters kneeling in remorse with the caption “Despair Not Allowed” (좌절금지). It also began to spread on the Chinese web around the same time, as reported by the Chinese portal site Baidu.
O = head
T = arms to the ground
L = legs
The ASCII-art prototype “＿|￣|○” subsequently spread across the Japanese blogs and forums like Futaba Channel and Nico Nico Douga circa 2002, where it became used as a humorous way of conveying frustration or despair. Soon, the emoticon evolved into other variant formats, most notably OTL and Orz.
Beginning in 2003, The emoticon entered usage on the Korean web through the imageboard site DCInside, where the concept of “orz” quickly evolved into an image macro phenomenon depicting various characters kneeling in remorse with the caption “Despair Not Allowed” (좌절금지). It also began to spread on the Chinese web around the same time, as reported by the Chinese portal site Baidu.
by dullius September 19, 2016
Get the OTLmug. 
by ARI:) May 3, 2017
Get the Otlmug. OTL is an acronym for "One True Lens". Used in discussions related to policy analysis lens within public health settings, this term is referred to by public health graduates and professionals to compare and contrast a certain policy analysis lens to what could be considered the 'one true lens' that supersedes all others (ie. when one posits that intersectionality is the 'OTL' compared to rational models). First used in 2018 by A.M.
by wyre November 27, 2018
Get the OTLmug. by debinoresu June 11, 2019
Get the OTLmug. by jtobrokee May 24, 2024
Get the OTLmug.