meme stock
noun
plural meme stocks
: a stock (see stock entry 1 sense 2a) that experiences a temporary sudden surge in popularity and price due to a coordinated effort (such as a viral social media campaign) by small investors
… 'meme stock' refers to a stock that attains viral attention on social media platforms, but predominately Reddit.—
Andrew Rocco
Andrew RoccoThe theory was that if enough small investors got in the game and drove the stock higher, it would force large hedge funds with short positions (bets that the stock would fall), to capitulate and sell those positions at a massive loss. … that dynamic appears to be driving the stocks of GameStop, AMC, and other so-called meme stocks.—Michelle Chapman
Michelle ChapmanPrice spikes in several meme stocks appear to be linked to the amount of talk about them on r/WallStreetBets, a forum on Reddit, a discussion website whose users are known for mischief-making. From this comes the name: an internet meme being an idea or behaviour, usually a humorous one, spread via social media.—The Economist
—often hyphenated before another nounThe Economistmeme-stock investors
the meme-stock craze
Examples of meme stock in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The video game retailer and meme stock fell 3% after the company posted its third-quarter results.
—Fred Imbert, CNBC, 10 Dec. 2025
In early 2021, an army of retail traders made massive bets on meme stocks and briefly melted down the market.
—Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 24 Nov. 2025
This was also a conduit for Musk to cultivate his own flock, and this is someone who has really benefited, at least in the past, from his online following, and also, frankly, allegations of online stock manipulation, and the ability of Tesla to become a meme stock on social media.
—Fiction Non Fiction, Literary Hub, 20 Nov. 2025
GameStop's stock jumped this morning before dropping back down, prompting comparisons to the 2021-era meme stock craze.
—PC Magazine, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for meme stock
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Fred Imbert, CNBC, 10 Dec. 2025
In early 2021, an army of retail traders made massive bets on meme stocks and briefly melted down the market.
—Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 24 Nov. 2025
This was also a conduit for Musk to cultivate his own flock, and this is someone who has really benefited, at least in the past, from his online following, and also, frankly, allegations of online stock manipulation, and the ability of Tesla to become a meme stock on social media.
—Fiction Non Fiction, Literary Hub, 20 Nov. 2025
GameStop's stock jumped this morning before dropping back down, prompting comparisons to the 2021-era meme stock craze.
—PC Magazine, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for meme stock
Cite this Entry
“Meme stock.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/meme%20stock. Accessed 17 Dec. 2025.
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