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Laughter Opinion

Memes That Define The Absolute Roller Coaster 2025 Has Been

As 2025 draws to a close, let's look back at the memes that kept us laughing all year long. Some were so catchy they lingered in our minds like an earworm, while others became instant cultural phenomena you just couldn’t escape.

Astha Rathod & Tanya Savkoor
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Memes capture the spirit of their time, offering a glimpse into the cultural pulse and trending moments of the year. And in 2025, they did just that, leaving behind a trail of humour, relatability, and internet history. Whether they made you laugh, cringe, or roll your eyes, these memes surely brightened even the dullest of days. So here’s a look back at some of the most viral memes that defined 2025.

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#WTF2025 

The internet started 2025 with a bang or more accurately, with a collective groan. When people realised that January 1st, 2025, fell on a Wednesday, just like 2020 (the year the world collectively wants to forget), social media went into overdrive.

Memes flooded X and Instagram with captions like “We’ve entered another Wednesday timeline” and “WTF—Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, same chaos, different year.” The trend was part superstition, part humor, a tongue-in-cheek acknowledgement of how everyone’s still recovering from 2020 trauma.

Budget & makhana board memes

When Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman unveiled the Union Budget 2025, a particular announcement stood out - the creation of a “Makhana Board” to promote fox nut cultivation in Bihar. Within hours, #MakhanaBoard was trending on X. Netizens dubbed it “Budget’s Crunchiest Announcement” and created jokes about“investing in makhana futures.” 

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Photograph: (X/ChekrishnaCk)

Vishal Mega Mart security guard listing

What started as a regular security guard job listing for Vishal Mega Mart turned into full-blown meme material. Users began imagining every possible celebrity or fictional character applying for the role. Social media was flooded with mock résumés, photoshopped ID cards, and even fake interview questions. It became a prime example of how Indian internet users can turn anything into a comedy goldmine.

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Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo's "non-demi-curious, semi-binary relationship"

The internet cannot stop replicating Wicked stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo's overly touchy, cushy body language during interviews. The duo recently revealed that they were in a "non-demi-curious semi-binary" relationship, sparking a wave of memes celebrating their chemistry.

“Ghibli-fy Me” AI Filters

Early in 2025, AI editing apps released new filters that transformed ordinary selfies intoStudio Ghibli-style animations, dreamy skies, soft tones, and sparkling eyes. The trend, dubbed #GhibliMe or “Ghibli-fy Me,” went viral on Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts, racking up millions of views.

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Photograph: (X)

Scandinavian scarf

When an American fashion rental company called a scarf over a neck "European and elegant, very Scandinavian chic," social media users were quick to identify that she was, in fact, talking about a dupatta, a quintessential South Asian garment. This sparked a wave of satirical posts to call out "cultural appropriation" of desi symbols. The Prada-Kolhapuri chappal ordeal added fuel to the fire, turning the debate into a bigger movement.

CSK Girl

Aaryapriya Bhuyan from Guwahati, a 19-year-old fan of Chennai Super Kings, became an overnight sensation after her emotional reaction to MS Dhoni getting out early went viral during the Indian Premier League 2025. Before the video went viral, Aaryapriya had just 800 followers on Instagram. But in no time, her follower count crossed 389,000. 

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Coldplay concert 'cheating couple'

During a Coldplay concert in Boston in July, Astronomer’s former CEO Andy Byron and the company's chief people officer Kristin Cabot were caught snuggling on the Jumbotron. As the camera lingered on them, both quickly pulled apart and attempted to shield their faces, sparking a frenzy of cheating speculations online. The band's frontman, Chris Martin, mused that they must be “having an affair.”

6-7

One of the most brainrot moments of 2025 was when the internet had us all cackling at the numbers '6-7'. It started from a line in the song Doot Doot by rapper Skrilla, where “6-7” is repeated in the lyrics. The appeal is in its randomness and absurdity. 

Standing on business

Justin Bieber's angry moment with papparazzi in Malibu went viral when he said, "It's not clocking to you that I'm standing on business, is it?" Though the phrase has long been a part of African American Vernacular English (AAVE), it became a trendy catchphrase when Justin used it to ward off photographers invading his privacy.

Jet 2 Holiday

The Jet2 holiday advertisement became a massive viral meme, inspiring countless videos of chaotic, disastrous, or just plain bizarre vacations. Its cheerful, over-the-top marketing tone created a hilarious, ironic contrast with travellers’ real-life holiday mishaps.

24 karat gold Labubu

A TikTok user, @lilzbullzofficia, became a viral sensation when she showed off her "24-karat gold Labubu" or as she says, "La-bew-bew," in her heavily British accent. She claimed to have spent about £20,000 on the collectable. Many social media users recreated the video and made fan art of the humorous moment.

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Views expressed by the author are their own.

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