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By Yuliya Geikhman Last updated: October 1, 2023

23 Popular English Memes for Killer English Vocabulary

Spending a lot of time online? Then you have probably seen the same pictures over and over again.

Welcome to the internet! You have discovered memes.

Many of these repeated pictures have white writing on them. Some make sense, while others seem to be complete nonsense.

Here, we are going to talk about memes and how they can be your new favorite tool for learning English.

Practicing English with memes is another way to learn through popular culture! That means you will learn about language and culture in the English-speaking world.

What Are Memes?
Learn the Coolest English Vocabulary from 23 Internet Memes
How to Learn English Vocabulary from Memes
And One More Thing...

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What Are Memes?

A meme (pronounced “meem”) is an image, video or text that people share over the internet. Each time the meme is shared, it is usually a little different. The image is the same, but the text is changed to express a different idea or describe a different situation.

Maybe you have seen memes in your native language. If not, you have probably seen the most famous memes on the internet. Even if you did not know their names, you will probably recognize some famous examples like Grumpy Cat or the troll face.

A meme is kind of like a cold: one person gets it and shares it with his friends. Those friends share it with their friends. All of a sudden, the entire internet knows the face of one cat.

Many people might not realize that the word “meme” existed before the internet. It was used to refer to a part of culture or an idea passed down from one person to another through imitation (copying). It actually comes from the word “mimema,” which means “to imitate” in Greek.

They are created by copying and imitation, so memes are very repetitive . That means they are used over and over again, sometimes with very few differences. You will see the same words and phrases used repeatedly, with similar meanings or the same structure.

This is great for learning English.

For example, the meme above always expresses uncertainty or doubt about a situation. The situation may change, but the feeling is always the same. He is not sure if one thing is true or if another thing is true. The structure is repeated, and different words are added.

Learn the Coolest English Vocabulary from 23 Internet Memes

1. Viral

When an image or video becomes very popular very quickly, you can say that it “goes viral.” On the internet, the word viral describes something that spreads very quickly and is seen by many, many people.

The internet sensation Gangnam Style, by Korean rapper Psy, is a viral video. It was the first video on YouTube to get 1 billion views, and those views are growing as you read this!

Offline, the word viral comes from the word virus . A virus is like a bacteria: it infects a body. The common cold is caused by a virus. Remember how we said that a meme is like a cold? Both memes and colds are viral—they spread quickly from one person to another.

2. Brace

The HBO fantasy show “Game of Thrones” gave us this next meme phrase: “Brace yourselves, winter is coming!”

The meme repeats the phrase “Brace yourselves, ________is coming.” It uses the image from an advertisement with “Game of Thrones” character Ned Stark.

But what does brace mean? The way it is used in this meme image, the phrase “brace yourself” means “prepare yourself” or, more simply, “get ready!”

A brace is something that holds an object or structure in place.

Braces keep teeth straight. A brace is also something used to heal injured body parts by holding them in place.

When you brace yourself for something, you’re putting yourself in a position where you will not be blown away, moved or surprised. You can literally “brace your feet against” something to keep your balance. You can also figuratively “brace yourself” for something bad like the loss of a job.

3. Troll

You might have heard about the troll that lived under the bridge.

It is an old story about an ugly monster who usually lives in caves (or under bridges) and demands money from anyone who wants to pass by.

The meaning of the word changed a little thanks to the internet. Now a troll is someone who makes offensive or mean comments on the internet. These mean comments are written just to make others mad and upset. Online trolls find it fun to watch others get angry.

The online meme for trolls uses a grinning (smiling) face. It can be used to describe any situation or person that seems unfair or that makes you upset.

Trolls want to see you react badly to their mean comments. You might then say, “I will not let him affect me. He was just trolling me.” Behaving like a troll, on the internet and in real life, can be called trolling. It is probably best to ignore people who do this!

4. Slenderman

There is a legend (traditional story) that tells of a tall, thin man wearing a black suit who follows children. This man has many long arms coming out of his back which he can stretch out very long.

Sounds scary, doesn’t it? People on the internet thought so.

They named him Slenderman and there have been many drawings, websites, and even games made about him.

The word slender does not have a negative definition. Slender describes someone or something that is thin or narrow, often in a graceful way. If someone has a thin neck, you can call it slender. Fingers can be slender too.

5. Creep / Creepy / Creeper

If someone creeps up on you while you are doing something, you might be surprised or scared. To creep up on someone means to move towards someone slowly and carefully so they cannot hear or see you.

In the video game Minecraft, a creeper is a green monster who creeps up on you and explodes! The creeper meme, shown above, is the Minecraft monster’s face. The meme usually says “That sure is a nice X you have there, it would be a shame if anything happened to it.” These little creepers want to take or destroy all the nice things you have.

In real life, you can call someone a creep or a creeper. These are not nice things to call people. You should only call someone a creep or a creeper when they are behaving inappropriately. Both words mean the same thing, but creeper is a slang word.

You can also say that someone or something is creepy. This means that it makes you feel uneasy or a little afraid. For example, if you hear someone walking in your house when you are alone, that would be creepy.

6. Condescending

When someone is condescending, they act like they know more than you. They are looking down on you. For example, if you mention that you are learning English to someone and they respond by saying “oh, you must think you know everything,” they are being condescending to you.

Condescending Wonka is a meme which uses a picture from the movie “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” and has condescending phrases written on it.

It often makes fun of people’s beliefs and behavior by being condescending. It mostly makes fun of people who are trying to look smarter, better or more special than they really are.

This type of humor is very sarcastic and very American (and British).

7. Legitimate / Legit

Something legitimate is something real or official. For example, you need to have a legitimate reason for calling the police. Your reason needs to be real!

Online and in the real world, the word legitimate has been shortened to legit. This slang word is used very commonly.

The funny meme above was created using legit. This is a very common meme which is called “Seems Legit.”

In these memes, the phrase “seems legit” is paired with pictures of things that look very fake or suspicious. In the meme above, these two men are definitely not in Hollywood. But the “Hollywood” sign behind them is supposed to make us think that they are in the real Hollywood. Seems legit, right?

8. Grumpy

Grumpy Cat was an adorably negative kitty that always looks like she’s in a bad mood. Did you know that Grumpy Cat’s real name was Tardar Sauce?

Grumpy is the feeling you get when you wake up way too early on a Saturday morning. Or you might feel very grumpy when you did not eat lunch and are really, really hungry. When you are grumpy, you are easily annoyed, hate everything and want to be alone.

9. Paranoid

Meet the Paranoid Parrot , a bird who overreacts to everything.

Paranoid people have many crazy fears. They often think that people are talking badly about them. They might think someone innocent is trying to kill them. Basically, a paranoid person does not trust normal people and things.

Sometimes paranoid can be used in a casual way. If a friend is worrying a lot about something that is not really a big problem, you might tell them that they’re “just being paranoid.” That means that there is no real reason to worry.

10. Legendary / Wait for it

“How I Met Your Mother” is a hilarious (very funny) TV show where a man spends 9 seasons telling his kids how he met their mother. At least, that is what the description of the show would say. Really, it is about the guy’s life with his great friends.

One of these friends is Barney Stinson, who loves women and nice suits. His favorite word is legendary.

Something legendary is very famous or respected by many people. It is a bigger word than “famous.” It is something that might become a legend , or something amazing that people will talk about for years.

You can use the word legendary when you are describing something that you think is very awesome, like an incredible party you are going to have. “It is going to be legendary!”

Another great phrase that Barney uses is “wait for it.”

Both “legendary” and “wait for it” appear regularly on memes—like this one, for example.

You already know that wait for can be used in any situation where you need to spend some time before you can get something. For example, you can “wait for the bus” or “wait for my friend to call me.”

But saying “wait for it” is also a way to make someone more excited about what you are going to say. You are asking them to wait, which means the information is really good. You can put it in the middle of a sentence, as in: “I have decided that I am going to—wait for it—become a doctor!” This makes the other person anticipate (look forward to) the rest of your sentence.

Barney sometimes uses this phrase in the middle of a word, like you can see in this great clip from the TV show. In the meme above, he puts wait for it in the middle of the word legendary.

“It is going to be legen—wait for it—dary!” This makes the word even more extreme and exciting.

A baby in the show is even named Marvin Waitforit Eriksen. That just make his name more awesome, does it not?

11. Foul

Something foul is disgusting, unpleasant and just plain bad.

Your socks after a gym workout might smell foul. If someone uses a lot of curse words, they are foul-mouthed . Someone foul is dirty or disgusting, either physically or in the way they act.

The meme above is called the Foul Bachelor Frog . It is about bachelors (single men) who are not very pleasant to be around. They do disgusting things because they live alone.

This brings me to our next meme vocabulary lesson.

12. Bachelor / Bachelorette

A bachelor is a man who is not married. A bachelorette is a woman who is not married.

Sometimes these words are used to mean that someone is available for a relationship. Other times they are used to describe the lifestyle of someone who is only interested in having fun, going to parties and being involved with different people.

The single lifestyle for men and women is similar. There is a Foul Bachelorette Frog too, as seen in the meme above.

In American marriages, it is traditional for the bride to have a bachelorette party while the groom has a bachelor party . At these parties, they go out with their same-sex friends and have one last night of being single and unmarried—the bride goes out with her girlfriends, the groom goes out with all his male buddies.

These parties can be legendary!

13. Slowpoke

A slowpoke is someone who takes a long, long time to do things.

When someone is being very slow, you can tell them: “hurry up, slowpoke!”

Another kind of slowpoke is a character from the very popular TV show and video game series Pokémon. In Pokémon, a slowpoke is a very slow-moving animal who is also not very smart. This Pokémon character is used in the Slowpoke meme.

The Slowpoke meme always makes statements that are “old news.” The things written on this meme are things that everyone already learned a long, long time ago. The meme usually starts with the words “hey guys, did you hear…?”

14. Throwback

A throwback is something that reminds you of the past.

Think back to the toys, games, candies and other things from your childhood. Even better, look up pictures of the items or commercials for them. Does that not make you feel nostalgic , when you can pleasantly remember the past? A throwback can do that for you! It throws you back in time.

When someone shows you their old Britney Spears CD, you can say, “wow, what a throwback!”

Throwback Thursday is a tag used on some social media websites like Tumblr and Instagram, where people post pictures on Thursdays of things from their pasts, like toys they had when they were growing up. The tag is often written as #tbt, which stands for Throwback Thursday .

15. Confession

“I have a confession to make…”

If you start a sentence that way, it means you are about to share something private, secret or embarrassing. It can also mean you are going to admit you did something wrong or committed a crime.

For example: “I have a confession to make…I ate the last cookie.” How terrible!

The Confession Bear doesn’t care about who ate the last cookie. This meme is used to share confessions that people cannot say in public because others might make fun of them or think bad things about them.

Since there is something that feels good about sharing personal thoughts anonymously (without anyone knowing who you are), this meme has been very popular. Similar memes came from this. Terrible Tiger is another meme that makes confessions—and it also makes fun of Confession Bear:

There is also a Confession Kid meme, where people share silly things they used to believe when they were children:

16. Politically correct

Many people today worry about being politically correct. This is important for people who have very public lives, like celebrities and politicians. Being politically correct means choosing the way you say things carefully so that you do not offend any group of people.

For example, in America the politically correct way to refer to people with African ancestry (family history) is “African Americans.” This is because many other terms were used negatively in the past and they can upset people.

You need to learn one more word to understand the meme above. This word is redneck .

In American culture, a redneck is a stereotype. It is a term used to describe a person who lives in a small, rural town (and not a big city) and is uneducated. This person may have some opinions that offend people because he or she is not very educated.

A redneck would probably call African Americans by a more rude term, for example. Actually, calling someone a redneck is not politically correct either, because it is a word based on stereotypes and can be very negative and offensive.

Now let’s talk about the meme above. It is known as The Almost Politically Correct Redneck. This meme shows a man who looks like a typical redneck. The line on top is politically correct, but the bottom line turns the statement into something offensive.

For example, a meme like this might say: “it doesn’t matter to me if your skin is yellow, black, orange…or normal.” This sentence starts out good (any skin color is okay), but in the end it suggests that other skin colors are not “normal.”

17. Contradiction

You may have noticed that the almost politically correct meme can sometimes say things that are opposites. When two things are opposites, they contradict each other.

The Contradiction Chris meme has some excellent examples of contradictions. The meme follows the pattern “ I hate _____ but I love _____.” Usually the two thing here are very similar or related.

It started when a man uploaded a video to YouTube in which he said “I hate religion, but I love Jesus.” Jesus is part of religion, making this a contradiction.

Some other examples are: “I hate vegetables, but I love broccoli” and “I hate soda, but I love coca-cola.”

18. Hindsight

Have you ever made a decision and then realized later that it was a bad decision?

You might remember that bad decision and think, “I should not have done that!”

When you understand something after it has already happened, that is called hindsight.

Some people say that “hindsight is 20/20,” which means that hindsight gives you “perfect vision.”

You got wet in the rain? You should have taken an umbrella! That seems obvious now, does it not? It did not seem obvious when you left your house to walk to work.

This brings us to the meme above. This meme uses the superhero Captain Hindsight. From the adult cartoon “South Park,” Captain Hindsight appears after a situation is already over and states what is usually very obvious.

19. Conspiracy

Conspiracy theories are the reason you should be extra careful when you read anything on the internet.

Conspiracy is a noun that refers to a plot (plan) by a group of people to do something that is bad or against the law. So, a conspiracy theory is a belief or idea that an event is happening because a powerful group is (secretly) making it happen.

A common conspiracy theory is that aliens (beings from outside the planet Earth) are real and that the government is hiding their existence.

While it may be true that there are living beings on other planets, there is no solid proof that they visit Earth on a regular basis. There is also no proof that the government has anything to do with why we do not accept the existence of aliens the way we accept the existence of the sun and the other stars.

The above meme is Conspiracy Keanu , a 1989 photo of Keanu Reeves (the actor playing the character Neo in “The Matrix” film series) from the movie “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure.” His face makes it look like as though he is thinking of or has heard something unbelievable—like a conspiracy!

20. Hedonism

Hedonism is the belief that happiness and pleasure are what you should value (consider as important) more than anything else.

The above meme is the Hedonism Bot from the show “Futurama.” If you liked “The Simpsons,” you will probably also like this show since it was made by the same creators.

By the way, you do not have to choose between watching Netflix and learning English. You can do both!

21. Dad Joke

A dad joke is not necessarily “bad” or “offensive.” It is something that a well-intentioned person who is not really good at making jokes would make.

For example, in the above meme (which is called “Dad Joke Dog” ), the dog is “saying” that the joke is fun and funny at the same time. It will not make you laugh out loud, but it still makes a strange kind of sense—just like the things your father would say!

22. Scumbag

If someone calls you a scumbag, it is not a compliment. It comes from the words scum and bag (or “a bag of scum”), where “scum” means dirt.

A scumbag is a horrible human being, plain and simple. He is the sort of person who will make your life difficult just because he can and just because he feels like it. You should never use this word in a polite context, just like another word that has a similar meaning, has two syllables and also ends with “-bag.”

This meme is called Scumbag Steve . You will also see his hat edited onto other memes that also refer to scumbags.

23. Satisfied

Now, on to our last meme! It is the Satisfied Seal meme, where satisfied refers to that feeling you get when things go the way you expected them to, or something happened that made you feel good—like finally getting to the end of this post!

By the way, you may have noticed that some of the meme names start with the same letters, such as Foul Frog, Paranoid Parrot and Satisfied Seal. This pattern of repeating the first letters in a phrase is called alliteration . It comes in handy when you try to remember things like the names of memes or English poems. Quite a satisfying bonus English lesson, yes?

How to Learn English Vocabulary from Memes

Now that you understand what a meme is, let us look at how to learn English vocabulary from memes. Memes provide an excellent opportunity to exercise your English vocabulary skills!

Pay attention to the memes you see on social media websites. You will probably see many memes on Facebook and Tumblr. Take note of how they are used in the comments sections of blogs, articles and online forums.

Try following this Reddit page devoted to memes. Reddit is a place where people share content from all over the internet, including tons and tons of great memes. How do people use them on this website? Start investigating!

Once you are familiar with how these pictures work, you can even make your own. There are many websites that help you easily make your own memes, like ImgFlip and Editdit.

If you are confused by a meme, you can look it up. Check out the meme database, Know Your Meme. It is like a complete dictionary just for memes, and you can find almost any meme on this website.

Be careful with memes. Sometimes memes use crude language and cursing. Many times, memes also use poor English or bad grammar on purpose to be funny. As with many parts of culture, there are still things you can learn from these silly images and phrases. Just make sure your new words and phrases are correct before using them in real life. You can do this by seeing how they’re used by native English speakers. FluentU is a good resource for this, since it uses real-world videos to teach the English language.

FluentU takes authentic videos—like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks—and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.

You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app or Android app.

P.S. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)

Focus on the vocabulary in memes. You already learned at least one English word from memes since you started this article—the word “meme!” There are many more vocabulary words that you can learn from memes. By becoming familiar with memes, you will also be more familiar with current internet culture. This will make it easier to communicate with modern English speakers.

Focus on your favorite memes. Once you have some favorite memes, search Reddit, Know Your Meme and Google Images for more examples of the same meme. You will get to see how this meme is used to express different ideas, which helps you build vocabulary in different contexts.

Internet memes are a part of online culture, and reading them can help you learn about language and culture in the English-speaking world.

They are also a great resource for learning colloquial (everyday, informal) English.

Start with these 23 awesome words and keep learning!

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

And One More Thing...

If you like learning English through movies and online media, you should also check out FluentU. FluentU lets you learn English from popular talk shows, catchy music videos and funny commercials, as you can see here:

If you want to watch it, the FluentU app has probably got it.

The FluentU app and website makes it really easy to watch English videos. There are captions that are interactive. That means you can tap on any word to see an image, definition, and useful examples.

learn-english-with-subtitled-television-show-clips

FluentU lets you learn engaging content with world famous celebrities.

For example, when you tap on the word "searching," you see this:

learn-conversational-english-with-interactive-captioned-dialogue

FluentU lets you tap to look up any word.

Learn all the vocabulary in any video with quizzes. Swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you’re learning.

FluentU helps you learn fast with useful questions and multiple examples. Learn more.

The best part? FluentU remembers the vocabulary that you’re learning. It gives you extra practice with difficult words—and reminds you when it’s time to review what you’ve learned. You have a truly personalized experience.

Start using the FluentU website on your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes or Google Play store. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)