烂梗

• Pinyin: làn gěng
• Hanzi breakdown: 烂 (bad/rotten) + 梗 (meme/reference) -> poor-quality meme.

Meaning

烂梗 means a bad, tired, or low-quality meme/joke.

It is more negative than 老梗 and usually criticizes a joke for being forced, tasteless, or repeated without creativity. Use it for content, not personal attacks.

Examples

1. 这广告硬塞烂梗，看得人尴尬。 This ad force-fed a 烂梗, and it was painfully awkward to watch.
2. 别再刷这个烂梗了，真的不好笑。 Stop spamming this 烂梗 already; it really isn't funny.
3. 别把不懂的梗都叫烂梗。 Don't call every joke you don't understand a 烂梗.

Usage Guide

Context: comments, reviews, humor criticism

Tone: critical, dismissive, annoyed

Do Say

• 强行不好笑的梗可叫烂梗。（It fits forced bad jokes.）
• 广告乱蹭网络语常被骂烂梗。（It fits clumsy meme use.）

Don't Say

• 因为自己没看懂就说烂梗。（Lack of context is different.）

Common Mistakes

• Do not confuse 烂梗 with niche 梗; niche is not necessarily bad.

Origin & History

Combines 烂, rotten/bad, with 梗, meme or reference, from online humor criticism.

Cultural Context

Era: 2020s

Generation: Online commenters and entertainment audiences

Social background: Fandom, gaming, and review communities

Regional notes: Common in Mainland online criticism.