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
Bloomberg reports retail investors are piling into meme stocks, which rose 44% in Q2 2025.
—Garth Friesen, Forbes.com, 2 July 2025
Model 3 sales were accelerating rapidly, but much of the momentum was tied to buzz that the company could soon enter the S&P 500, and a pandemic market boom, when retail investors poured into meme stocks, cryptocurrencies and FOMO (fear of missing out) assets.
—Ari Levy,lora Kolodny, CNBC, 29 June 2025
Still, the chain isn’t firmly focused on collectibles, with management seeming intent on recapturing its meme stock mojo.
—Brendan Coffey, Sportico.com, 24 June 2025
The bitcoin treasury play that lifted Strategy’s market cap past $80 billion is now being mimicked by meme stock companies, media firms, and multinational conglomerates.
—Mackenzie Sigalos, CNBC, 31 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for meme stock
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Garth Friesen, Forbes.com, 2 July 2025
Model 3 sales were accelerating rapidly, but much of the momentum was tied to buzz that the company could soon enter the S&P 500, and a pandemic market boom, when retail investors poured into meme stocks, cryptocurrencies and FOMO (fear of missing out) assets.
—Ari Levy,lora Kolodny, CNBC, 29 June 2025
Still, the chain isn’t firmly focused on collectibles, with management seeming intent on recapturing its meme stock mojo.
—Brendan Coffey, Sportico.com, 24 June 2025
The bitcoin treasury play that lifted Strategy’s market cap past $80 billion is now being mimicked by meme stock companies, media firms, and multinational conglomerates.
—Mackenzie Sigalos, CNBC, 31 May 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 20 Jul. 2025.
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