Top 40 Popular Memes on Social Media in 2024

Everything happens superfast on social media, and if you want to stay updated in this digital world, you have to forget about old-fashioned communications!

Nowadays, memes are known as the universal language of the internet; you wonder why? Simple! Memes grow faster than news and go viral quickly, which means many people around the world share their experiences using a popular meme.

Memes usually reflect social cultures, relevant experiences, and social issues in the shape of humorous pictures, text, and short videos.

It doesn’t matter if you are curious about the latest popular memes or just looking for a good laugh; you are in the right place!

In this article, I will walk you through the top 40 popular memes on social media in 2024 so far; just be careful! Because it’s going to be hilarious!

What Are Memes on Social Media?

Before we go any further, let me explain what a meme is on social media. Long story short, memes are funny images, text, and videos that rapidly go viral across the internet because they usually reflect a fact that almost everyone can understand and relate to.

The main reason memes are so popular is that they are funny, which keeps audiences engaged with the content. As you know, more engagement means the content keeps going viral.

If you are wondering why memes can go viral rapidly, they are designed to be easily shared. Think about it! What do you usually share with your friends while scrolling Instagram, Twitter, or TikTok?

Let me guess! Probably memes! Because they are easy to share and represent a similar feeling and experience among users.

I bet you and your friends usually send memes to each other and say: “LOL, this is us!” or “It’s so meeee!”

Ultimately, memes are now a great way to communicate on social media, increase engagement, attract new followers, and even simply discuss complex issues.

Top 40 Popular Memes on Social Media

1- The “little sad mouse” memes

One of the most popular memes on social media is the little sad mouse, which I guess you have already seen on TikTok or Instagram.

One of the reasons it is popular is the slow violin song that plays on it. Even if you look at the picture, the music will be played in your mind.

There are over 277 million posts with this meme on TikTok, which shows its popularity. Oh, and it’s good to know that there is a wave of videos going viral where boys buy the toy of this mouse and give it to their girlfriends because the meme actually represents the innocence of girls.

2- The “Inside Out” animation memes

As you may know, the second chapter of the famous animation Inside Out was released a few months ago, and they brought new characters into the animation, such as “anxiety” and “envy.”

This was a good reason for this animation to become a popular meme on social media; currently, it has over 100 million posts on TikTok.

3- The “silver medal Turkish Olympic winner” memes

If you watched the games of the Paris Olympics, you probably know about the Turkish guy, “Yusuf Dikec,” who won the silver medal in sharpshooting games without using any special equipment.

His calmness and professionalism are the reason he is now one of the most popular memes on social media, and people around the world praise him.

4- The “siren head” memes

If you have ever watched horror movies, you know about the Siren Head meme. Imagine a lamp post that moves in the woods and is scary.

However, the memes you will find, such as the siren head meme, are usually funny, not horror; check out the post below, which has over one million likes on TikTok.

5- The “Sponge Bob” cartoon memes

One of the most popular memes on all social media platforms is undoubtedly one of the characters from the Sponge Bob animation.

This animation is not only popular among children, but adults also love it, and there are many funny memes related to this animation; you can find a meme from this cartoon for almost every situation.

Check out this hilarious meme from @memezar’s Instagram account:

https://www.instagram.com/p/C-LR9nMN7sU/?igsh=ZWZ0am9ja3k3emE5

6- The “you wouldn’t last an hour in the asylum where they raised me” memes

If you are a Swiftie, you probably have heard about this lyric, and it’s one of the popular memes on social media now.

This phrase is from the famous song “Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?” from “The Tortured Poets Department” by Taylor Swift.

7- The “Eclipse” memes

It is good to know that the Eclipse memes are always popular on social media because people find this phenomenon extraordinary.

Let’s not forget that users appreciate the opportunity to make fun of everything, even Eclipse.

8- The “it’s like a reward” memes

Another popular meme, which is mainly used by pregnant women or people who are on a diet and have a cheat meal.

People usually share a video of themselves eating a delicious dish and use this audio or text to express how amazing it feels to eat good food after a while.

Oh, by the way, it is good to know that the original audio is from the famous movie, “Django.”

9- The “very demure, very mindful” memes

Very demure, very cutesy, very mindful. These are the terms you see in the latest trend memes on social media you can find in 2024.

The main video is from the famous content creator and TikToker Jools Lebron, who shared a video about her outfit and makeup a few days ago.

10- The “drawn on eyebrow” memes

Imagine a face without eyebrows; it’s frightening, right? But let me tell you something: a face with deformed eyebrows is a nightmare, especially when some people try to draw their eyebrows, but it ends up being a funny meme!

If you don’t believe me, check out the image below:

https://images.app.goo.gl/Njk7DpN39MYzcUbm6

11- The “Great Teacher Onizuka” memes

Before reviewing this popular meme, let me ask you something. Are you interested in watching anime? If yes, you should watch The Great Teacher Onizuka (GTO) if you haven’t watched it yet.

One of the characters in this anime is now among the popular memes on social media; whenever I watch these memes, I laugh so hard!

Check out this hilarious meme below to understand what I’m saying!

https://www.instagram.com/p/C94zCH_tQGJ/?igsh=MWViNm9rdnl3NXU5ZQ==

12- The “Delulu” memes

The Delulu memes are also known as delusional content. We all have that kind of friend who thinks they are dating an anime character or a celebrity. If you think you don’t have such a friend, maybe you are the Delulu friend!

There are various videos and images related to such delusional content; as an example, check this TikTok video to understand better:

https://vt.tiktok.com/ZS2hG415D/

13- The “Barack Obama at the Door” memes

As mentioned before, the world of memes covers important events, celebrities, politicians, and everything that shares a similar feeling and experience among people.

Therefore, don’t be surprised to see a meme about the former President of the United States, Barack Obama!

14- The “Keanu Reeves” memes

I don’t think you can find a person who doesn’t love Keanu Reeves, the character in the famous movie John Wick.

But did you know that he is also among the most popular memes on social media in 2024? Yup, that is true! You can even find various memes of him by searching for his name on the internet.

15- The “Man Looking at Another Woman” memes

I can say that you just realized which meme I am talking about by just looking at the title! It’s not a new trending meme on social media, but everyone around the world is familiar with the man looking at another woman while holding his wife’s hand.

It is good to know that this meme has a Wikipedia page called “Distracted Boyfriend.” Various individuals, even celebrities, recreated this meme, but nothing beats the original picture.

16- The “Hard to Swallow Pills” memes

Do you still remember the taste of the cough syrup your grandma used to give you as a child? It was like a punishment!

The funny story is that it’s a popular meme on social media now! These memes reflect all the bitter realities you don’t want to admit.

17- The “Wholesome vs. Edgy” memes

Have you ever been in a situation where you need to make a decision, but then you realize it’s just a bad idea?

The wholesome vs. edgy memes show this kind of struggle in the meme format; it represents that one side of your decision is great, and the other is the worst!

The picture below helps you better understand:

https://images.app.goo.gl/jsLTgSD7fVXZtWCo6

18- The “Flashback Memories” memes

Another type of meme that is always popular on social media is those about flashing back a memory from the past.

Check out this funny meme and you will understand what I actually mean!

19- The “Chick-fil-A Girl” memes

This one is hilarious and makes me laugh every time I watch it! It’s about a cashier girl working in a restaurant and taking orders; she never thought she would be the queen of memes in 2024!

She is famous for her facial expressions and her questioning of customers about whether they want “Chick-fil-A sauce” or not.

It is good to know that she took this video to make fun of those who act weirdly while taking orders, but she became the meme instead and is quite famous now!

20- The “Cillian Murphy” memes

We all know Cillian Murphy for his incredible playing in the Peaky Blinders TV series, but did you know that his facial expressions are one of the popular memes on social media platforms?

As you may know, Cillian usually doesn’t laugh during interviews and has his unique expressions instead, which is why he is the king of the meme world in 2024.

It is good to know that his famous meme, known as the “disappointed Cillian Murphy,” and the interesting point is that he doesn’t even know what a meme is!

21- The “Office Handshake” memes

The Office is a famous American sitcom TV series, and a scene of it is now among the most popular memes on social media.

It’s a picture that shows the young “Micheal Scott” shaking “Ed Truck” hand.

22- The “How Did You Sleep” memes

If you are among the people who stay awake all night and go to sleep late, then you don’t have a proper sleep schedule.

Now, imagine how you would react when someone asks you how you slept. Let me guess: those black circles around your eyes tell the truth!

The funny thing is that there are so many memes for this matter, the one below has over one million likes on Instagram in less than 20 days!

23- The “Am I a Joke To You” memes

Another popular meme on social media in 2024 is about a man with a sad expression asking his wife, ” Am I a joke to you?”

The image was first posted on Twitter in 2016 as a reaction to a post; however, it has become one of the most popular and used memes in 2024.

24- The “Don’t Do That” memes

Are you the kind of person who listens to others when they tell you not to do something? Or do you just do whatever you want, no matter what?

If you ask me about myself, I am among those people who WILL do the exact thing other people tell me not to do.

This behavior is so universal that there are various memes for it; one of them is very popular, as you can see in the image here!

25- The “Vision Pro” memes

We all agree that technology has made our lives easier, but that doesn’t mean we don’t create memes out of the latest version of the Apple Vision Pro glasses!

Since the Apple company released their new device as vision pro glasses, people started to create funny memes about it; here is one of the popular ones:

26- The “South Park” animation memes

If you are interested in watching animations and cartoons, then you know the famous South Park animation and have seen popular memes from its characters on social media.

Here is one of the popular memes from this cartoon, which I recommend to check out! It’s hilarious!

27- The “Bitcoin Crash” memes

You may think creating memes for such a matter is a bit harsh, but never forget that people are free to make memes out of everything.

The Bitcoin Crash memes are a symbol for those who thought they would be the next “Wolf of Wall Street,” but it turns out that the crypto world has played them.

28- The “Crab Rave” memes

Let me tell you something: the memes will never die, no matter how old they are, which is why I have to announce that the Crab Rave memes are back and are prevalent in 2024.

It doesn’t matter how you feel or your mood; the crab rave meme will cheer you up! There are also specific dance moves known as the crab rave and cute toys, which move like a crab!

29- “The Rock Eyebrows” memes

Dwayne Johnson, famously known as The Rock, has a favored eyebrow gesture, which is so popular on social media that there are funny memes called “The Rock Eyebrows.”

This meme is found in different formats, such as GIFs, videos, and images.

It is good to know that this specific content is not the only meme related to Dwayne Johnson; searching for “the rock memes” on the internet will find hilarious and creative memes.

30- The “I am You but Stronger” memes

This is another popular meme in 2024, which started from the day users leveraged it to show how they glow up from high school.

To use this meme, it is necessary to compare the awkward old you with the hottest version of yourself today.

Using this cute meme is a great way to celebrate how far you have come to be this amazing character you are.

31- The “How to Avoid Stress at Work” memes

Are you stressed at work and unable to handle the pressure in the work environment? Well, you don’t have to be worried anymore. This meme is the solution you are looking for:

32- The “When You Make an Excuse, and They Give You a Solution” memes

How would you feel when you make an excuse to ditch the leg day or avoid going to work, but others continue giving you solutions?

This meme is a great example of how it feels to spend time thinking about excuses, and suddenly, everyone starts sharing their bright solutions!

33- The “Met Gala 2024” memes

As you know, every Met Gala has a specific theme, and the guests are supposed to style their outfits based on that theme. This means there are various opportunities to introduce new memes to the world!

We all know that some guests take the theme too far and wear exaggerated outfits, so no wonder we have popular Met Gala memes every year.

34- The “Barbie” movie memes

Have you watched the Barbie movie yet? I think we all agree that Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling are the real-world Barbie and Ken!

Saying so, since this movie was launched, people have started creating memes from its funny and meaningful scenes.

The following image is one of the most popular and funny memes from this movie:

35- The “Patrick Star To Do List” memes

It is true that most people love Sponge Bob in the Sponge Bob cartoon, but my favorite character is Patrick Star!

You wonder why? Just take a look at his to-do list, and you will feel so close to him, just like I do! 🙂

36- The “Two Cats Meowing at Each Other” memes

I don’t think there would be a single person who hasn’t watched the famous meme of two cats meowing at each other like they are in a toxic relationship!

This funny video actually blew the meme world up and is known as one of the most popular cat memes around the world.

This meme is available in image, GIF, and video format. It is good to know that it has millions of likes and plays on social media platforms.

37- The “Life Gives You Lemon” memes

You may have heard the saying, “Appreciate when life gives you a lemon and use this opportunity in the best way possible.”

But what should you do when the lemon life gives you is rotten or is not what you expected? Check out this meme to better understand what I am talking about.

38- The “Call Me if You Need Me” memes

Are you the kind of friend people can count on when they need you? Or are you one of those friends whose phone is always in the silent mood, and no one can reach out to you when needed?

The “call me if you need me” meme is one of the most popular memes in 2024 as it represents someone who believes you can count on them, but in fact, they are never there for you!

39- The “Gender Reveal” memes

Don’t you think that some couples take the gender reveal ceremony too far? I mean, it’s just a baby!

There are many people who are on my side, which is why gender reveal memes are now a trend!

Here is a good and funny example:

40- The “Bombastic Side Eye” memes

“Bombastic side eye, criminal offensive side eye.” I bet you heard this phrase at least once while scrolling Instagram or TikTok.

Last but not least, the famous bombastic side eye is the last popular meme on our list.

Which Type of Memes Are More Popular on Social Media?

The popularity of memes depends on various factors, such as current events, trends, cultural contexts, and more.

However, it has been said that image memes are among the most popular ones because most people think they are only in a picture format.

In the section below, I will review each type of memes based on their popularity:

• Image memes: simple pictures with bold text are popular on social media.

• Reaction memes enhance your account’s engagement by encouraging your followers to talk about how they would react if they were in that situation.

• Relatable memes: Believe me or not, using these kinds of memes will help you grow your account faster because they create deep, similar feelings in your audience.

• Video memes: as mentioned, people mainly know pictures as memes, which means they don’t know about video memes.

• Trend memes: As you know, trends come and go at lightning speed, so if you scroll through social media, you will definitely see various memes about a new trend on the internet.

Conclusion

According to what we explained in this article, it is crystal clear that memes have shaped a new form of communication on social media and even brought people closer together as they usually represent a similar feeling and experience among users.

One thing to remember about memes is that they can go viral superfast and disappear from social media in a blink, which means if you want to stay updated on social media, you should follow the latest trending memes.

Last but not least, I want you to always remember that you can find happiness in everything, even in a funny image, text, or video on the internet!

I hope you find this article helpful and amusing and that you enjoyed reviewing the top 40 popular social media memes in 2024!

FAQs

1- What is ‘meme’ short for?

If you are wondering the origin of the term “meme,” you are about to find the answer. Meme is short for “mimeme,” which originally comes from the Greek word “mīmēma.” It means “that which is imitated.”

2- Can I use memes for brand marketing?

Yes, brands usually use memes as a great tool to better connect with their audiences and enhance their visibility on social media platforms.

3- How can I find the latest memes on social media?

If you scroll through Instagram, Twitter, Reddit, and TikTok, you will find all the latest memes that users frequently share across the internet.

4- Are memes always funny, or can they be disrespectful?

As you may remember, we mentioned that memes often reflect a cultural trait. Because memes can sometimes represent offensive or disrespectful content, you have to be careful while interacting with them.

About the author

Emi Daniel

Emi Daniel is a content writer at Social Tradia, where he writes clear, useful content that helps readers find what they need. Outside of work, he enjoys gaming and coding.

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