Dictionary

RPG en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

Initialism. When applied to a "rocket-propelled grenade" it derives from Russian РПГ (RPG), initialism of ручно́й противота́нковый гранатомёт (ručnój protivotánkovyj granatomjót, “hand-held anti-tank grenade launcher”), of which "rocket-propelled grenade" is a backronym (though an accurate description of the weapon system).

Meanings

1. (abbreviation, alt-of, initialism) Initialism of roleplaying game.
   alt of roleplaying game
   • Through many of the most iconic RPGs of our time, we’ve seen a range of popular minigames come into focus. 2023 August 28, Brad Norton, “Sea of Stars – Wheels minigame guide: How to play, best Heroes, more”, in Dexerto:
   • I love shooters, RPGs, and pretty much anything with free-roam or gore. 2009, The Official Xbox Magazine - Issues 92-95, page 335:
   • Viral YouTuber and grandmother Shirley Curry, better known as ‘Skyrim Grandma’ is finally playing another Bethesda RPG after nine years. 2025 June 2, Michael Gwilliam, “89-year-old Skyrim Grandma switches to another RPG after 9 years”, in Dexerto:
   • I reckon Runescape^([sic]) is the game that introduced my young, ignorant, and stubborn self to modern RPGs. In a way, I owe at least part of how my career has shaped up to trimmed rune and obby capes. 2021 January 4, Cian Maher, “Runescape^([sic]) Is 20 Years Old Today - Here's How I Started A Pyramid Scheme When I Was Nine”, in TheGamer, archived from the original on 19 Jun 2022:
   • This is an RPG experience DBZ fans must have, but even if you've never seen DBZ, it's still an interesting game due to the unique fighting scenes and the ability to fly around the map. 1993 April 14, “Dragon Ball Z”, in GameFan, page 89:
2. (abbreviation, alt-of, initialism) Initialism of rocket-propelled grenade.
   alt of rocket-propelled grenade
3. (abbreviation, alt-of, initialism) Initialism of rebound per game.
   alt of rebound per game
   • The Nuggets star is averaging 24.9 PPG, 11.9 RPG (rebounds per game) and an agonizing 9.9 APG (assists per game) – demonstrating Jokić’s incredible all-around ability. 2023 April 5, Thomas Schlacher, “Joel Embiid vs. Nikola Jokić vs. Giannis Antetokounmpo: What’s the latest in the race to become the NBA MVP?”, in CNN:
4. (abbreviation, alt-of, initialism) Initialism of research postgraduate.
   alt of research postgraduate

Forms

Deriveds

RPGer · CRPG · tactics RPG · TRPG · JRPG · TTRPG · WRPG · litRPG · ARPG · tactical RPG · SRPG · MMORPG

Relateds

LARP

Translations (23)

pl gra fabularna (role-playing game) · ja RPG (RPG) (role-playing game) · fi roolipeli (role-playing game) · cmn 角色扮演游戲 /角色扮演游戏 (role-playing game) · pl rolplej (role-playing game) · de Rollenspiel (role-playing game) · yue RPG (RPG) (role-playing game) · be РПГ (rocket-propelled grenade) · th เกมอาร์พีจี (role-playing game) · pl granatnik przeciwpancerny (rocket-propelled grenade) · cmn 角色扮演游戏 (role-playing game) · es JDR (role-playing game) · it RPG (role-playing game) · ru РПГ (rocket-propelled grenade) · pl zbiórki na mecz (basketball: rebounds per game) · it GDR (role-playing game) · pl RPG (role-playing game) · pt lança-granadas (rocket-propelled grenade) · pl gra wyobraźni (role-playing game) · fr JdR (role-playing game) · pl erpeg (role-playing game) · fi rope (role-playing game) · pl RPG (rocket-propelled grenade)

RPG en · PROPN

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

Initialism. When applied to a "rocket-propelled grenade" it derives from Russian РПГ (RPG), initialism of ручно́й противота́нковый гранатомёт (ručnój protivotánkovyj granatomjót, “hand-held anti-tank grenade launcher”), of which "rocket-propelled grenade" is a backronym (though an accurate description of the weapon system).

Meanings

1. (abbreviation, alt-of, initialism) Initialism of Report Program Generator.
   alt of Report Program Generator

RPG en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

Initialism. When applied to a "rocket-propelled grenade" it derives from Russian РПГ (RPG), initialism of ручно́й противота́нковый гранатомёт (ručnój protivotánkovyj granatomjót, “hand-held anti-tank grenade launcher”), of which "rocket-propelled grenade" is a backronym (though an accurate description of the weapon system).

Meanings

1. (intransitive) To play a roleplaying game.
   • None of them really wanted to game without Beth. For one, it didn’t seem fair, and for another, the facts that she had a great imagination and really no concept of how RPGing was “supposed” to work meant she sprang stuff on the group that had livened up the games no end. 2020 February 14, Mercedes Lackey, Cody Martin, Breaking Silence, Baen Books:
   • When I got to my new school, it didn’t take me too long to find a group to hang out with. We RPGed, talked books, movies, and comics. We played video games, both in person and in co-op. 2016, David Liss, chapter 2, in Randoms, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, page 9:
   • When you start RPGing, you describe an action your character is taking. Sometimes your DM will interject, asking you to make a test for success (typically a dice roll). 2016, Teri Litorco, The Civilized Guide to Tabletop Gaming: Rules Every Gamer Must Live By, Adams Media, page 145:
2. (transitive) To attack with a rocket-propelled grenade.
   • However, one group of Americans at the Embassy doesn’t creep around quivering in anxiety about being RPGed or machinegunned. 1981 November 14, B.P., “U.S. Embassy”, in Soldier of Fortune, volume 6, number 11, page 53:
   • The Taliban had buried a triple mine in the road a week ago and remotely detonated it under a Spartan. Then they RPGed the Scimitar trapped ahead of it. 2009, Ed Macy, Hellfire, HarperPress, page 343:
   • It was like the movie Black Hawk Down without the rioters. I was RPGed so often I gradually stopped ducking. 2006 September 14, Robert D. Kaplan, Imperial Grunts: […], Vintage Books, page 317:

Forms