Definition of "IM"

Have them meet you on your favorite messenger program. IMs provide a means of instant chat without waiting on someone to respond back to you.

2010, Tim Collins, A Woman's Guide to Internet Dating, A Male Perspective, page 49

Another threat to the use of IM is a phenomenon known as spimming. Spimming is to IM as spam is to e-mail. Some aggressive spimmers learned how to take over one IMer's contact list — threatening a company's entire IM system!

2007, Bill Daley, Computers Are Your Future, page 70

Sure, we may use cellphones and e-mail hundreds of times a week, but we say very little. […] Most of our talk, even in privileged IM circles, is no deeper than the words we exchange with the pizza guy.

2008 January–February, Chris Rodell, “Small talk, big results”, in Men's Health, volume 23, number 1, page 80

"When I first joined ACAC (Ames Cyclones Aquatics Club), we were swimming together in a lane and I ended up going behind her," Hala said. "We were doing IM (individual medley) in warm-up and I was on her feet and I was like I'm an IMer, can I go ahead of you? She told me no."

2021 August 11, Joe Randleman, “Magnificent Meghan: Donald ready to defend state swimming titles for Ames High”, in Ames Tribune‎

You won't pick up, you won't IM, you won't return my six (seven?) phone calls. So I'm resorting to email for this. First of all, don't get mad at Julie. She did the right thing. But, sweetie, why are you hiding this from the people who love you?

2004, Rocki St. Claire, Hit Reply, New York, NY: Pocket Books, page 160

“WDYT,” she IM'd Sophie, wondering what her new friend thought of the idea. Sophie, sitting next to her, quickly IM'd back “G4I” to show her support.

2010, Jeanne C. Meister, Karie Willyerd, The 2020 Workplace […] ‎, Harper Collins