There are different ways you can get insulted on the internet. You might get "ratioed" if your message gets way more comments than "likes". You might not receive any "likes" at all – and that might be the worst insult of all, especially if you were trying to be funny. But perhaps the most impactful and creative are still clever comebacks.
Bored Panda has dug up some gems from all over the internet where people got roasted by other netizens so bad they might need to apply some ice to their burns. Some people just have a way with words, so, check out these hilarious insults that the Shakespeares of the Internet came up with!
#1 Sounds About Right
Image credits: Nigel_Hunter
#2 Ratio In TikTok
Image credits: Sudden-Refuse-7915
#3 Okay She’s Got A Point Tho
Image credits: BoymanAndGirldog
Internet comes with its own rules of communication and etiquette. But one thing remains the same as it is in real life: arguing. People like to prove their point when they're lurking in the comment section, and Millennials might be the age group that does it most.
According to a 2017 survey, 33% of Millennials said they get into fights online often or at least sometimes. Still, most Americans don't think online arguments are worth their time. More than half (55%) of the respondents said they don't ever have disagreements with people online. 24% admitted that it happens, but rarely.
#4 You Are The Reason They Stay Home
Image credits: MsSeraphim
#5 Saw This On Another Sub, Thought It Was Fitting
Image credits: Secret-Aardvark1602
#6 Not An Extrovert
Image credits: __Dawn__Amber__
Sadly, probably none of us are strangers to insults and verbal put-downs, especially on the internet. The Pew Research Center reported in 2021 that about four in 10 Americans have reported online harassment. Most respondents cite politics as the top reason why they might be targeted.
Younger people also say they experienced online harassment more often. A whopping 64% of Americans under 30 have experienced some form of it. 49% of folks aged 30-49 say the same, and only 21 people aged 65 and older admit they've been victims of some sort of harassment on the internet.
#7 Mama Tell No Lies
Image credits: Patser21
#8 She Sure Ain’t Balsa Wood
Image credits: Public-Marionberry33
#9 Don’t Forget Your Birth Control
Image credits: reddit.com
We know it happens; people insult each other. Whether it's face-to-face or through a device screen, they usually hurt. We all can probably appreciate a carefully-crafted and humorous roast that's targeted at someone else, but what's the psychology behind insulting people in general? Are we just looking for ways to express our pent-up anger or is there any kind of self-serving reasoning in the act?
#10 I Can’t Lie. The Comment Sections Always Make Me Laugh
Image credits: FilthyRascals
#11 He Is Right Though
Image credits: Unlucky-Parsnip-4711
#12 I Love A Ben Shapiro Burn
Image credits: cozynite
Sometimes, insults can be about superiority. Evolutionary psychologist Nigel Barber, Ph.D. explains that we insult someone when they threaten our social standing. "[An insult is] an attempt to reduce the social status of the recipient and raise the relative status of the insulter," he writes for Psychology Today.
#13 Ignored It Until I Got Online
Image credits: bbrk9845
#14 Sometimes The Comments On IG Ads Are Gold
Image credits: reddit.com
#15 Huge Loss Of Inventory
Image credits: ZanP96
We're also exhibiting more and more narcissistic traits, which might be the fault of social media. Even in 2009, researchers have observed a rise in narcissistic traits in college students. Now, more than 15 years and many new social media platforms later, our self-esteem and egos are closely tied to our social media personas. And we feel like insults are the most effective way to defend them.
#16 This Might Be A Crime Scene
Image credits: TTwelveUnits
#17 She Just Got Flamed Bro
Image credits: PewdsForPresidnt
#18 On An Influencer Who Has Trained His Jaw
Image credits: theonewhowasbeing
Insulting someone on the Internet is also easier on us. It doesn't make us feel that bad insulting a person's appearance if we can't see their reaction in real-time. Even if an insult is clever and we get cheered on by fellow netizens, we don't see the micro expressions on the other person's face. So, insulting someone on the internet can make us bolder, more reckless, and, ultimately, mean.
#19 A Video About Donuts
Image credits: iluvdoingstuff
#20 “…within Walking Distance Of A School Shooting” Is Savage
Image credits: CrackerJackJack
#21 Ready To Go
Image credits: StrngThngs
Nigel Barber explains that societies evolve to regulate those who dispense insults. "Effective communities maintain solidarity by keeping direct insults to a minimum," he writes. "Hence the elaborate traditions of politeness and respect found in real-world communities of the past; people behaved that way to avoid unnecessary anger, disputes, and violence."
#22 She Called Me The N Word After That And Blocked Me
Image credits: mareksierra
#23 He Had It Coming
Image credits: CringeOrDie
#24 "Whats A Gender Neutral Word You Could Use For Your Spouse?"
Image credits: GriffinFTW
We might think that comebacks are the perfect weapon against insults. But psychiatrist Neel Burton, M.D., writes that it might not be so. By roasting someone back, we're stooping to their level. "This gives them, their behaviour, and their insult far too much legitimacy," the psychiatrist believes.
#25 This Is A Burn
Image credits: DryParamedic3257
#26 “There Has Never Been Another Nation That Has Existed Much Beyond 250 Years”
Image credits: SamCham10
#27 Made Me Cackle
Image credits: BunnyBunBunHoney
Instead, Burton says, comebacks and roasts should exist only between friends and in good faith. When we clap back only for the sake of humor and not with the intent to insult someone, a comeback is at its most effective. "The witty put-down does have a place, but only among friends, and only to add to the merriment," Burton adds.
#28 They Look Like Cardboard Cutouts
Image credits: banstovia
#29 Seriously It Does Look Like That
Image credits: reddit.com
#30 No You Didn't
Image credits: Joe_Black03
Which of these witty comebacks would you put into the hall of fame of the bust burns on the Internet, Pandas? Let us know in the comments. And if you're looking for more cases where online jerks were put in their place by creative roasters, check out our previous articles here, here, and here!
#31 50 Shades Of White
Image credits: sjorbepo
#32 Save File Corrupted Mid Puberty
Image credits: gruntingcunting
#33 Why Are They All Shaped Like Squeezed Tube Of Toothpaste
Image credits: MABEHIERhier
#34 When Your Date Asks What You Do For Living
Image credits: sluttybeautie
#35 I Like This One
Image credits: ThomasoSGG7
#36 The Human Version Of A Windows Update
Image credits: KombatDisko
#37 All I’m Gonna Say Is O O F
Image credits: YouJustgotwooshedboi
#38 Especially Clever
Image credits: reddit.com
#39 He Had It Coming
Image credits: Larilarieh
#40 Great Summation Of How Disappointed People Are With The Movie
Image credits: Reddituser0346
#41 A Streak Of Insults
Image credits: wach_era13
#42 Respect Lexis King
Image credits: BryLinds
#43 Hitting This Like A Pan Flute
Image credits: jelyk
#44 Its Hard Prince-Thug Life
Image credits: ItsOriginalUsername
#45 Can't Unsee It Now
Image credits: literallynoone5545
#46 They Do Look Very Similar
Image credits: BQjesuEM
#47 I'm Not Sure If This Is An Insult Or A Compliment
Image credits: alenvg_2000
#48 So That’s Why They’re So Loud
Image credits: Bunbaroops
#49 We Have Trees Older Than Europe Itself
Image credits: Professor-Rick
#50 Brutal Takedown
Image credits: Weaponxclaws6
#51 Bro What Is That On Top Of His Head?
Image credits: Billy_Bob2332
#52 Who Does That Anyway?
Image credits: Valdrom
#53 Clones With Slight Differences
Image credits: PurpleDeadmau5Fan
#54 Not Sure Who This Is But Goddamn!
Image credits: c0nf
#55 She Has Officially Disintegrated Into Pieces
Image credits: RealRaging_Fire
#56 She Could Blow Out The LA Fires
Image credits: throatfrog
#57 I'm Dead
Image credits: Nana897
#58 If The Shoe Fits
Image credits: W1LLEYx
#59 Dude Got Ratioed To The Shadow Realm
Image credits: Grouchy-Ad9640
#60 I’d Watch That Movie
Image credits: 010rusty
#61 I’m Definitely Gonna Use This
Image credits: Shrekie_Hulk
#62 You Look Like A Memory
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#63 “Doh!” Said The Nft Bro
Image credits: jiriwelsch44
#64 Can't Recover From That Burn
Image credits: big_hole_energy
#65 He Looks Like He's Good At It Too
Image credits: Constant-Training994
#66 This Is A New One
Image credits: zGravity-
#67 No Your Phone Is Not Upside Down
Image credits: Ipomoea-753
#68 Worst Loaf Of Bread Ever Baked
Image credits: Nicox37
#69 Never Heard This
Image credits: HughJanus35
#70 Eyes Are The Window To The Socioeconomic Status
Image credits: MrDrPresBenCarson
