Meaning
What does The Big Sad mean?
The big sad is a popular slang expression for depression, especially prevalent in memes online.
It can also be a humorous reference to The Great Depression.
As depression is a prevalent mental state all over the world, “the big sad” is a meme that is relatable to most people, similar to the Doomer meme.
Origin
What's the origin of The Big Sad?
The exact origin of the meme is unknown, however “the big sad” started emerging on meme-related subreddits in 2018.
Several memes would feature the expression, which was especially prevalent on Drake Hotline Bling format, as well as the Expanding Brain format.
Spread & Usage
How did The Big Sad spread?
“The big sad” was first defined on Urban Dictionary in 2018.
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, people started featuring the phrase in memes related to quarantine depression.
On November 15th, 2020, authors Taylor Ross and Lyndell Clark published a children’s book about anxiety and depression with the title “The Big Sad”, presenting children with the story of Bentley Bunny, who is struggling with his emotions.
External resources
- Reddit – r/depression_memes