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In MyMemeCards, the meme card game, “Drowning High Five” is a rare card of the Memes World series 72, number 21500 of the collection, and the 153rd best-known meme of its 300 cards. Here is what the meme means, where it comes from, and how to get its card.
What does the “Drowning High Five” meme mean?
This format expresses camaraderie in failure or resignation towards the absurd. It typically depicts a serious problem or personal failure met with a useless, misplaced, or ironically celebratory response. The dominant emotion blends distress with dark humor, highlighting the futility of social responses in dramatic contexts. It’s a way of saying everything is going wrong, but we stay polite or complicit anyway.
Where does the “Drowning High Five” meme come from?
The meme originates from a wordless comic published by Russian artist Anton Gudim on his Instagram account on June 19, 2017. The work is not from a video, TV show, or forum, but a digital illustration. The sequence shows a hand emerging from water, as if someone is drowning, greeted not by a rescue rope but by a high-five. In the final panel, the drowning hand disappears underwater. The image quickly spread as a reaction image. Its popularity grew when pages like Sarcasm Society captioned it "When your ex drowning" on February 26, 2018. Variants with humorous labels circulated on Reddit, particularly in r/2meirl4meirl and r/programmerhumor, cementing its status as a visual retort to disastrous situations.
- 2017Publication of the wordless comic by Anton Gudim on Instagram.
- 2018Widespread dissemination as a reaction image, notably via Sarcasm Society.
How to use the “Drowning High Five” meme
- Use this image to ironically respond to a friend recounting a major failure, validating their misfortune with humor.
- Employ it in a light professional context to signal that a project failed, but the team remains united despite it.
- Use it as a comment under a post showing a catastrophic situation to highlight the absurdity of the response provided.
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The “Drowning High Five” card in MyMemeCards
| Number | No. 21500 |
|---|---|
| Rarity | Rare |
| Collection | Memes World series 72 |
| Fame | 68/100 · #153 of 300 |
| Recycle value | 10 MemeCoins (30 in Shiny) |
How to get the “Drowning High Five” card
Every pack holds 5 meme cards, the first 3 of them Common; Drowning High Five comes out of the Memes World series 72 as a rare card. The pack odds say what each rarity weighs.
Your first pack is free and needs no account. After that a new free pack lands every 10 minutes, up to 3 waiting for you. You can also buy the card with MemeCoins on the market, bid for it at auction, or trade it — and a double recycles into 10 MemeCoins.
Open your free pack
5 meme cards, one of them at least Rare. One free pack per person.
Free · no account needed
Odds per card, averaged over a pack: Common 72%, Rare 23.9%, Epic 3.2%, Legendary 0.56%, Mythic 0.3%, Full Art ≤ 0.1%, Shiny 0.2%. Cards 1 to 3 are always Common, cards 4 and 5 climb the rarities. Rates drop for cards that circulate a lot. Details
Memes like “Drowning High Five”
More cards of the Memes World series 72
Frequently asked questions
Drowning High Five meaning?
This meme illustrates an ironic reaction to failure or disaster. It shows responding to a serious problem with a useless or off-beat action, expressing dark humor about resignation.
Drowning High Five origin?
It comes from a wordless comic published by Russian artist Anton Gudim on Instagram on June 19, 2017. It is not a video or movie scene.
Who is Anton Gudim?
Anton Gudim is a Russian artist known for digital illustrations and wordless comics. He published this meme on his Instagram account in 2017.
Drowning High Five real or fake?
The meme is based on an original work created by Anton Gudim. No real person is depicted; it is a fictional illustration.
How do I get the Drowning High Five meme card?
Open a pack of MyMemeCards: “Drowning High Five” is a rare card of the Memes World series 72. Your first pack is free, with no account, and you can also buy, trade or win the card at auction.
How rare is the Drowning High Five card?
It is a Rare card. Rarity decides which pack slot can deal it, and what it is worth on the market.
Sources: Drowning High Five · knowyourmeme.com · memes · corporations-throwingCorporations Throwing Pizza Parties - Know Your Meme · High Five Drown Meme Template & Meme Generator [FREE] · checked on October 14, 2026.
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