SWF

Abbreviation with 2 meanings

SWF
Stands forSmall Web Format
Meanings2
CategoriesTechnology & Computing, Texting & Internet Slang

SWF has two meanings. It stands for Small Web Format (file format) or Single white female (dating and relationship).

Meanings of SWF at a glance

#SWF stands forContext
1Small Web FormatTechnology & Computing › File Format
2Single white femaleTexting & Internet Slang › Dating and Relationship

1. Small Web Format

Technology & Computing · File Format Abbreviations

File format for Adobe Flash animations, games and interactive applications, originally named Shockwave Flash. For two decades it delivered web games, cartoons, banner ads and whole websites.

Example: The old Newgrounds game is an SWF that now runs through the Ruffle emulator.

SWF grew from FutureSplash Animator (1996), which Macromedia bought and renamed Flash; Adobe acquired Macromedia in 2005. Flash's security problems and lack of mobile support led to its end of life in 2020. Preservation projects such as Flashpoint and the browser-based emulator Ruffle keep thousands of SWF games and animations playable.

2. Single white female

Texting & Internet Slang · Dating and Relationship Abbreviations · also used in general use

Personal-ad shorthand in which the advertiser describes herself by relationship status, race and gender, part of a system of codes used in newspaper personals from the 1970s onward.

Example: SWF, 32, seeks adventurous man for travel, hiking and laughs.

The 1992 psychological thriller "Single White Female," about a roommate who copies and stalks the woman who advertised for her, made the phrase famous, and "to SWF someone" became slang for obsessively imitating them. Similar codes included SWM, SBF and DWF (divorced white female).

More file format abbreviations

  • SRT – SubRip Text
  • STEP – Standard for the Exchange of Product model data
  • STL – Stereolithography
  • SVG – Scalable Vector Graphics
  • TAR – Tape archive
  • TIFF – Tagged Image File Format
  • TMP – Temporary file
  • TS – MPEG transport stream

See all 125 file format abbreviations →

More dating and relationship abbreviations

  • SO – Significant other
  • STD – Save the date
  • STR – Short-term relationship
  • SWAK – Sealed with a kiss
  • SWM – Single white male
  • TDH – Tall, dark and handsome
  • V-Day – Valentine's Day
  • WLTM – Would like to meet

See all 36 dating and relationship abbreviations →

Edited by the AbbreviationList.com team. Spotted an error or a missing meaning? Contact us.