The bombastic side eye definition refers to a facial expression often used by individuals to convey disapproval or show their irritation at controversial or awkward situations. This trend has inspired numerous memes featuring images or videos depicting people using the side eye gesture - these often feature memes depicting individuals using it and have even inspired memes that depict individuals doing it! Using it conveys disapproval, scorn, annoyance jealousy as well as sarcasm or humor!
TikTok was responsible for kick-starting the bombastic side-eye trend when users discovered an audio clip featuring a woman saying, "Bombastic side eye. Criminal, offensive side eye." The catchy clip quickly gained popularity on TikTok, inspiring many users to create content incorporating both side-eye gesture and the bombastic sound.
Popular examples of bombastic side-eye content include memes, videos, and gifs that show people reacting negatively to controversial or awkward situations with an angry or disappointed expression. Such videos typically depict someone giving the side-eye and often include text overlays describing their feelings or comments.
One video shows a TikTok user expressing their displeasure and disappointment while watching another video showing an offending joke being laughed off, garnering over 9 million views and becoming an instantaneous hit on the platform.
Additional examples of the bombastic side-eye trend include videos featuring a girl giving the side-eye to her parents for their behavior, another person doing so while arguing with another, and an astronomer giving the same look in response to scientists who declared Pluto no longer exists - all examples that demonstrate its use to express disapproval or mockery in different contexts. These videos demonstrate its versatility as an expressive form.