Gloomer is a Wojak character variant from 4chan depicting young adults, often around 27, who lead antisocial and uninspired lives.

Where did Gloomer come from?

The first Gloomer image, titled "27-year-old Gloomer," was posted anonymously to 4chan's /pol/ board on September 17th, 2018.

What does Gloomer mean?

In Wojak context it means a withdrawn, quietly melancholy young adult; in slang use it also refers to someone who dwells only on negatives.

How do you use Gloomer?

People typically caption a sulking Wojak with short first-person lines about a dull job and empty social life, often over dim or muted backgrounds.

Is Gloomer still popular?

Gloomer stayed a smaller entry in the Wojak family, with its main peak of spread through 2019 via 4chan reposts and YouTube ambient mixes like "Gloomer Music [2 Hours]," which drew over 56,000 views in a month.

Gloomer

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Published August 24, 2026

Gloomer is a Wojak character variant depicting young adults in their mid to late 20s who lead quiet, antisocial, and uninspired lives. It first appeared on 4chan's /pol/ board in September 2018 as a 27-year-old female Wojak, later expanding into male versions and YouTube ambient music mixes.

wojak character archetype memes 4chan memes mental health memes existential memes

Overview

Gloomer is a Wojak character variant depicting young adults roughly between 22 and 27 who drift through antisocial, uninspired routines2. The earliest iteration showed a 27-year-old female Wojak framed by captions describing job dissatisfaction, weak social ties, and a passive, introverted daily life3. A male counterpart later joined the set, carrying the same withdrawn mood.

The character fits alongside other Wojak archetypes like Doomer, Coomer, and Bloomer, each mapping onto a different modern mindset3. Gloomer sits at the melancholic end, less nihilistic than Doomer but more visibly resigned than a plain Wojak. The word itself also picked up broader slang use for anyone who only dwells on negatives4.

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Origin & Background

Platform

4chan (/pol/, /r9k/)

Date

2018

On September 17th, 2018, an anonymous 4chan poster uploaded an image titled "27-year-old Gloomer" to the /pol/ board1. The picture centered on a female Wojak, ringed by short captions describing a dull job, few friends, and a life spent going through the motions3. A male version of the character with similar themes appeared on /pol/ on September 18th, 20193.

How It Spread

Neither original character post generated a huge thread, but the label Gloomer kept turning up in 4chan discussion across /pol/ and other boards through late 2018 and into 20193. In March 2019, an alternative Gloomer image of unclouded origin started circulating, with Instagram user goderotic sharing an early copy on March 11th, 20193.

YouTube pushed the character into ambient territory. On March 22nd, 2019, user The Abyss King uploaded "Anthem of the Gloomer," and a week later on March 29th, Unpersoner posted "Gloomer Music [2 Hours]," which pulled in over 56,000 views inside a month2. On April 9th, 2019, someone reposted the alternate Gloomer image to the /r9k/ board5, a fitting home given that board's focus on lonely and socially withdrawn users.

The term also slipped into casual internet slang beyond the Wojak crowd. Urban Dictionary entries describe a Gloomer as a person who only dwells on the negative, with a newer definition aimed at pessimistic Gen Z and millennial takes on climate and politics4.

How to Use This Meme

The Gloomer template typically pairs a hooded or sulking Wojak with short caption lines listing mundane grievances: a dead-end job, empty weekends, no close friends, hobbies abandoned. Common conventions include muted color palettes and dim, nighttime lighting3. Text is usually written in first person and stays flat and resigned rather than dramatic, which is what separates a Gloomer post from a Doomer one.