The term “larping” used to mean dressing up and playing out fictional worlds. Now, it’s become Gen Z shorthand for performing a version of yourself that doesn’t quite match reality.
“Larping” is such a weird word. It’s the sort of internet jargon you probably wouldn’t hear outside of very specific corners of the web. I first encountered it on Tumblr some years ago, where I came across a group of guys dressed in full armor, dramatically battling it out in a field with foam weapons. At the time, that was what larping meant to me: a very niche hobby involving elaborate costumes, make-believe combat, and an impressive commitment to the bit. So imagine my surprise when I recently started seeing “larping” used in an entirely different way. The word has escaped its fantasy-world origins and took on a new meaning, one that has less to do with foam swords and more to do with pretending to be someone or something you’re not.
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The Genesis Of Larping
Before becoming a term used in the regular lexicon today, larping, according to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, means to engage in LARP, the abbreviated term for a live-action role-play. It’s when a group of people comes together and enacts a fictional scenario. Usually, larping is done by fandoms of fictional shows. In the early to mid-2000s, that meant Harry Potter fans playing Quidditch at the park, or Percy Jackson fans simulating a battle between Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter.
While it can look like elaborate dress-up from the outside, larping is really about stepping into a character and committing to a fictional world, often with costumes, props, dialogue, and some form of improvised storytelling. For longtime players, the appeal doesn’t lie in the pretending, but rather, the freedom to temporarily inhabit another identity and play out a story with other people. It’s essentially make-believe with a little more structure—and, in some cases, significantly more dedication to the costume.
What Larping Means Today And How Gen Z Are Using The Word
The Urban Dictionary defines larping as “when someone is pretending to be something they’re not. It can involve lying on social media or the internet, or in real life. Often used in a derogatory sense.” From a seemingly harmless hobby, the word has now transformed into a substitute for insults like “social climber” or “feeler,” which somewhat waters them down (especially when it’s harder to get context clues from the mere word “larping”).
On social media, to call someone a “larper” is to accuse them of performing a version of themselves that doesn’t really match reality. It can refer to someone dressing, speaking, or behaving as though they belong to a particular social circle, lifestyle, or subculture when they seemingly don’t. Someone posting as if they live a life of luxury while secretly drowning in debt? Larping. Someone suddenly adopting the vocabulary and interests of a niche subculture because it’s become fashionable? Also larping. The word has become a convenient catch-all for anyone perceived to be putting on an act.
What makes the Gen Z version of larping so interesting is how closely it’s tied to the performance of identity online. Social media has made it easier than ever to curate a persona, from the clothes we wear and places we visit to the opinions we post and the communities we claim to belong to. Cecause the internet is particularly good at turning nuanced observations into one-word judgments, “larping” has become an easy way to call out what we perceive to be inauthenticity—whether or not we actually know what’s happening behind the screen.
Who Are Larpers That Made It Big? (Based On Our New Definition)
Anna Delvey
If there’s one person who could be crowned the most successful larper to date, it’s Anna Delvey. Born Anna Sorokin, she posed as a wealthy German heiress and embedded herself in New York’s elite social and art circles, despite having none of the fortune she claimed to possess. Her carefully constructed persona was convincing enough to get her luxury hotel stays, high-profile connections, and millions in attempted financing before her deception unraveled.
The “Pajero Lady”
The Philippines has its own infamous social chameleon in Maria Lourdes de Guzman, better known as the “Pajero Lady.” She became notorious in the late 1990s and 2000s for allegedly posing as a wealthy, well-connected woman to gain access to Manila’s affluent circles, where she targeted residents of exclusive subdivisions. Her exploits became the stuff of local legend, earning her a nickname that has endured even after her arrest.
Daejon Love
Then there’s Daejon Love, who allegedly took larping into the world of online dating. He reportedly posed as a San Francisco 49ers player and successful investor, using a fabricated identity to gain the trust of women he met online. Prosecutors allege that the persona was part of a larger scheme that defrauded multiple women of more than a million dollars.
The Fake Duke PA Student
Angel Victoria Murdock allegedly took the student-identity larp to another level, presenting herself online for nearly two years as a student in Duke University’s physician assistant program. She documented her supposed life as a PA student on social media, complete with the trappings of academic life, despite Duke reportedly having no record of her enrollment. Two years is a particularly impressive commitment to a fictional backstory.
Frequently Asked Questions
Larping originally refers to participating in LARP, or live-action role-play, where people come together to act out fictional scenarios. Online, Gen Z has given the term a newer meaning: pretending to be something or someone you’re not.
LARP stands for live-action role-play. It involves people stepping into characters and acting out fictional scenarios, often using costumes, props, dialogue, and improvised storytelling.
In Gen Z slang, larping describes someone who presents themselves as something they’re not. This can involve pretending to belong to a particular social circle, lifestyle, or subculture, either online or in real life.
The word evolved from its original meaning of live-action role-play into a broader term for performing a fictional identity. On social media, calling someone a “larper” can be a way of accusing them of being inauthentic or pretending to live a certain kind of life.
Examples discussed in the article include Anna Delvey, who posed as a wealthy German heiress; the “Pajero Lady,” who became notorious for targeting Manila’s affluent circles; Daejon Love, who allegedly posed as a San Francisco 49ers player; and Angel Victoria Murdock, who allegedly presented herself online as a Duke physician assistant student.
