Define Nerfed Meaning

The term "nerfing" comes from the online gaming world of Ultima Online.

At one point in the game, the developers reduced the power of swords in melee combat.

This resulted in players complaining that it was like they were hitting each other with nerf bats, not swords.

From then on, if ever something gets made less worth while than it had been originally, it is considered 'nerfed'

when the makers of a game decide the players are having too much fun

v: something that worked at one time, but was changed (usually for the worse) by someone who did not understand that particular thing's usefulness. You used to have something cool, but now your stuff
suxors. Often refers to MMOFPS's or MMORPG's, when the game designers change in-game rules and they screw stuff up.

Typically applied to online regularly-changed/updated video games.

To "nerf" something means to reduce its 'power' or effectiveness within the game. Often times this is to solve some problem in the game (such as an 'overpowered' weapon/ability or super effective strategy), or to push the players in one direction or another (such as a new cosmetic/item/character).

Nerfs affect the 'meta' or prevailing strategy/characters/items used to win the game. In this way nerfs also give control to the developer of how the players play the game. i.e. nerfing a commonly used item to discourage the community from playing with it.

Some nerfs can be so drastic they change the very fundamentals of the game, and are often a contributing factor to the size of the playerbase, for good or bad.

Outside of games, this would again mean to reduce the things 'power' or 'effectiveness'. The exact analogy that gave birth to this term, is that of a Nerf Gun, compared to a real gun.

To weaken or make less dangerous. Taken from the "Nerf" brand name, which makes sports equipment toys out of a soft foam (e.g., the Nerf football is soft foam rather than the hard leather of a real football). Used frequently in the context of computer game balance changes.

To make worse or weaken, usually in the context of weakening something in order to balance out a game.

The act of making something worse or weaker.

The verb form of "nerf."

In the game Overwatch when D.va uses her ultimate ability.

To diminish the power or effectiveness of...
To make less potent.

Originally, this was a product line of foam based toys for children. It was adopted by the online gaming community to refer to the reduction in power of a game feature for the sake of balance.

This term is now seeing more widespread generic usage, usually in reference to mechanical devices, or personal powers within a business framework.

antonyms: Buff(v), Spike(v)

A line that the character D.Va says in overwatch when she uses her ultimate and causes everybody to run for cover. D.Va's ultimate is self destruct and everybody in a certain radius gets dealt a HUGE amount of damage.

D.Va: Nerf this! {self and opponents}
Opponents: OH SHIT RUN FOR FUCKING COVER!!