What does “sonder” mean on TikTok? Viral word makes users “depressed”

TikTok's definition of the word “sonder” has caused sadness among users after watching viral videos visualizing the grim meaning of the popular term.

Much like the word “demure,” which went viral in August this year thanks to TikToker Jools Lebron, the word “sonder” is currently circulating on the platform. Although it is a popular term, many users feel depressed after seeing trending videos explaining what it means.

According to dictionary.com, sonder means: “The feeling you get when you realize that every other individual you see has a life just as full and real as your own, in which they are the main character and others, including yourself, play only a secondary or insignificant role.”

However, TikTok's definition of the viral word is: “The realization that there are no main characters in the world and everyone has complex lives, thoughts, crushes, relatives, dreams and minds just like you. Essentially, while you are the main character in your own life, you are also a supporting character in someone else's.”

Many viral TikToks depict the word by filming people in the distance. Usually, the person looks lost or depressed in their own life, despite once having something to hold on to in the past.

TikToker Jolens went viral with their video of a special someone sitting alone on the sidewalk. “I wonder what his problems are,” they captioned their video. They added, “He was someone's baby once.”

Many viewers agreed that Jolens' TikTok was sad, with one even saying it “broke his heart” to see someone so down.

The user “westarded” also went viral for sharing his special video in which he filmed a man standing in front of a dilapidated hut.

Many viewers empathized with the person in the video, saying he was once a child with “hopes and dreams.” Another added, “He has a favorite color, a favorite season, and had a dream about what he wanted to be when he grew up.”

The word “Sonder” is currently going viral on TikTok, but it's not the first time the phrase has made the rounds. The word also became popular in 2022, with many people choosing to get a tattoo of it.

At the time, TikToker Matthew Terry posted a few unique tattoo ideas, including a sketch of three people standing around a pole with signs pointing in different directions, and another was a drawing of an eye with an earth grid as the pupil.

Although words like “sonder” and “demure” have taken over TikTok, there are many other viral terms that users have added to their daily dictionary.

The term “bop” also went viral this August, as did the phrase “Skibidi Ohio Rizz” – a combination of words that has left anyone above Generation Alpha feeling both confused and extremely old.