What is a meme? Britannica defines meme as a unit of cultural information spread by imitation. Generally, memes refer to cultural symbols or ideas, often humorous, that spread quickly online through images, videos, text, or combinations of media.

Various 2024 memes clockwise— Raygun, Chill Guy, DDG's son, and Moo Deng—are circled around "Best of 2024" text. “Memes. The DNA of the soul. They shape our will. They are the culture—they are everything we pass on.” It’s kinda prescient, huh?

This was a big year for the U.S., the world, and the internet — thanks to some very stupid things like a “fully conscious baby,” a pygmy hippopotamus, and someone imitating the sound of oral sex. As we reflect on the memes and viral moments that ...

From extremely public cheating scandals to viral orange French fishes, the memes of 2025 gave costume planners endless material.

The numbers “six” and “seven” are sending kids into a frenzy as the viral phrase, which comes from a song by rapper Skrilla, takes over TikTok, even though Skrilla has admitted the phrase is meaningless.

Overly sexualized popcorn buckets. Topless figures in front of earth-connecting portals. A sentient baby that longs for the Four Seasons Orlando hotel. This, my friends, is 2024. It’s been only six months, but this year has already provided us with an ...

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Being in the public eye means celebrities frequently become the butt of a joke or subject of a viral meme. While some may be offended, others lean into the inside jokes as a way to connect with fans. In a post on r/popculturechat, a user asks, “What’s ...

But sometimes, a meme becomes so popular it turns mainstream, and many forget where the original clip actually came from. While it sometimes makes it easy to forget their origins, their impactful legacy often results in a cult following for any given series.

Join Mashable as we look back at all the viral moments, movies, memes, dating trends, hyped up tech, scientific discoveries, and more that have delighted and amazed us in 2024. Memes are becoming an increasingly rare breed on the internet. (Thanks, Elon.