The Most Cringeworthy Things Millennials Did (And Still Do)

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Learn the millennial trends that would put Gen Z in a coma

Co-authored by Bertha Isabel Crombet, PhD Reviewed by Candace Gasper

Last Updated: September 24, 2025 Fact Checked

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What is millennial cringe?

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Examples

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Phrases

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If you were born roughly between 1980 and 1996, congrats—you’re a millennial! Of course, that label isn’t beloved by everyone, as it has encountered some backlash in recent years, with the entire generation being described as “cringe.” Gen Z seemingly coined the term “millennial cringe” in reference to certain aesthetic and cultural choices made by millennials, but what exactly are they? And why are they so uncool? If you want to have all your burning questions answered, put on your lumberjack plaid, pour yourself a drink in a mason jar, and get ready for a deep dive on this popular yet controversial term.

Meaning of Millennial Cringe

Millennial cringe refers to aesthetics, humor, and behaviors belonging to millennials that are now perceived as outdated and cringeworthy. The term was coined by Gen Z and used to describe hipster-inspired trends like throwing up the peace sign in photos, skinny jeans, and phrases like "adulting" and "I did a thing.”

Section 1 of 3:

What is millennial cringe?

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The phrase refers to hipster-inspired trends from the 2000s to 2010s. The term “millennial cringe” was thought to have been coined by Gen Z, or Zoomers, to describe a specific set of aesthetic, cultural, and behavioral markers of the Millennial generation. Typically, this includes anyone born between 1980 and 1996, accounting for over 72 million Americans. Zoomers, born between 1997-2012, came up with “millennial cringe” to poke fun at millennial trends, which typically stem from the hipster movement of the latter half of the early 2000s. Bands like Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros and Arcade Fire are credited with embodying millennial cringe: lumberjack plaid, silly mustaches, and drinking from a mason jar.^{[1]
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- Millennial cringe also describes a specific brand of online humor that is more earnest and less concerned with being “cool.”
- Other examples of millennial cringe include taking photos of food at restaurants, Lonely Island-style musical skits, and Buzzfeed quiz culture.

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Millennial Cringe Examples

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Millennial cringe fashion includes tucked-in shirts and skinny jeans. “Millennial cringe” may have all started when Gen Z decided that skinny jeans were painfully uncool and wanted Millennials to know it. If you grew up in the early to mid-2000s, chances are that your style was influenced by the driving culture of the time, which likely involved indie folk revival music and plaid. Aside from the French tuck and jeans that fit like a second skin, here are some other millennial cringe relics from a bygone fashion era:^{[2]
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- Jeggings
- Skirts or dresses over jeans or tights
- Tucking jeans into boots
- Peplum tops
- Chunky statement necklaces
- Converse sneakers
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Certain online behaviors are also considered cringeworthy. Gen Zers tend to prefer a more laid-back and nonchalant way of interacting online, which is why they fully recoil at certain “try-hard” millennial-isms. For example, posting super curated and polished reels or photo carousels on Instagram is viewed as inherently cringe, as is posting anything with extensive hashtags. Here are some other online millennial quirks you may be guilty of:^{[3]
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- Internet challenges, like planking and the milk crate challenge 
- Posting a Boomerang on Instagram
- Using the 😭 emoji 
- Posting Throwback Thursdays  
- Peace signs and pouts in photos 
- Oversharing on FB
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Big fandoms that took millennials by storm are now thought of as cringe. If you’ve ever taken a Sorting Hat quiz to figure out what Hogwarts house you belong to— don’t let the Zoomers know! Demonstrating a huge interest in certain fandoms that peaked in the late 2000s or early 2010s is a surefire way to come off as cringe, according to the younger—and much more chill—generation. Keep this in mind when you want to nerd out on your favorite fandoms and ship your favorite fictional couples. Also, maybe don’t say “ship” as that is also cringe. Here are some other equally cringe subject matters:
- Harry Potter
- Disney, as in becoming a Disney adult
- The Office
- Friends
- Tumblr-rooted fandoms
- Taylor Swift
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The “millennial pause” is another tell-tale sign of millennial cringe. “Millennial pause” is used to pinpoint the brief pause that many millennials take before starting to speak in a video. This is usually done to make sure that the camera is recording and properly working, allowing Zoomers to make fun of millennials’ fraying understanding of technology. After all, millennials did indeed grow up during the time of VHS tapes, when digital recording apps and social media were in their infancy.^{[4]
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- Iconic millennial shows with documentary-style setups, like The Office and Parks & Recreation, may have further affected the way millennials recorded themselves, ultimately resulting in the unforgivably cringeworthy millennial pause.
- The millennial pause was originally mentioned by @nisipisa in a TikTok about Taylor Swift, remarking on how “relatable” the pop star is for briefly pausing in a video before speaking.

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Cringe Millennial Phrases

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Phrases like “I’m living my best life” and “YOLO” are considered cringe. There are tons of millennial cringe phrases, from “living your best life,” to “YOLO,” to feeling #blessed. Calling your partner “bae,” saying someone is being “extra,” and “throwing shade” should also be shame-inducing according to Gen Z. Another tenet of millennial cringe is “LOL-speak,” which illustrates a childlike way of communicating, both online and IRL, by using terms like “doggo” or “pupper.” Greeting someone with “O, hai!” may also be considered LOL-speak and therefore frowned upon by younger folk. Here are some more expressions sure to make Zoomers roll over in their chronically online graves:^{[5]
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- Saying you’re “adulting” or “I did a thing” when doing mundane tasks or running errands
- “Clap back”
- “Humble brag”
- “High key” and “low key”
- Saying something is “lit”
- Calling someone who behaves boldly a “savage”
- Being “woke”