adulting hard
/ˈæd.əl.tɪŋ hɑːrd/
CommonDoing adult responsibilities that feel unusually difficult or overwhelming.
Self-deprecating. Often used ironically to acknowledge the gap between expecting adulthood to be easy and finding out it is not.
Real-world examples4 examples
| # | Example | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | called my insurance company, scheduled a dentist, AND did laundry. adulting hard today | The person completed several mundane but necessary tasks and wants acknowledgment. | x, 2023 |
| 02 | nobody warned me that adulting was just paying bills until you die | Adulthood turned out to be mostly financial obligations with no end. | reddit, 2024 |
| 03 | made a grocery list before going to the store. adulting hard rn | A small act of preparedness felt like a major adult achievement. | instagram, 2023 |
| 04 | i have to call a plumber and i genuinely do not know how. adulting hard is a scam | Real adult problems feel impossible because nothing prepared them for this. | tiktok, 2024 |
Use it when
- Someone just dealt with something boring or stressful that adults have to do.
- Someone is venting about responsibilities feeling overwhelming.
- Someone successfully completed a mundane adult task and wants recognition.
- Someone is joking about how exhausting basic life maintenance is.
Do not use it when
- You mean a serious life crisis or mental health struggle.
- You are describing someone who is mature or responsible as a compliment.
Origin and context
Grew out of the 'adulting' meme that spread on social media in the early 2010s, where millennials began ironically labeling mundane responsibilities as achievements. 'Adulting hard' added emphasis, emphasizing degree of difficulty.
- First seen
- mid-2010s
- Confidence
- medium
Cite this page
Use this stable URL to reference the entry.
https://slang.fyi/adulting-hardUpdated: 2026-08-29License: CC BY 4.0