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Roasting is a skill that doesn’t come naturally to everyone. And no, we're not talking about grilling meat and potatoes; we're talking about the kind of roasting that scorches a person's ego. Some people are far too kind to create an excellent insult, while others don’t have the wit necessary. But every now and then, someone with a sharp tongue and a brilliant mind comes up with an insult so brutal that it goes completely over the head of the subject. 

If you’re a connoisseur of eloquently crafted insults, you’ve come to the right place, pandas. Threads users have recently been sharing the most clever and cutting digs they have ever heard, so we've compiled a list of them below. Enjoy scrolling through these roasts that are on par with Shakespeare, and be sure to upvote the ones that you’ll keep in your pocket for future use!

#1

White House exterior with fountain and American flag in bright daylight My favorite from Zelensky’s visit to the White House last year: "You're raising the volume of your voice, but not the logic in your argument."

holagabyacosta , Getty Images Report

Nathaniel He/Him Cis-Het
Community Member
Premium
18 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

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    #2

    Two professionals debating ideas about clever insults in office I once had a coworker ask why I talked to him like he was stupid. I looked him in the eye and asked "why do you talk to me like you're stupid?"

    twerkulesdeluxe , Mikhail Nilov Report

    #3

    Man smiling and talking to colleague about clever insults "I can explain it to you, but I can't understand it for you."

    That was my dad's favourite.

    positive_yann , LinkedIn Sales Solutions Report

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    #4

    Group discussion with man explaining clever insults in social setting "Nothing you could do would make me think less of you."

    It's good because it can also be a compliment.

    andrewmcfarlandcampbell , Thirdman Report

    Joe Publique
    Community Member
    8 hours ago

    This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

    Top Tip: It's *not* also a compliment (unless you're from the 'I could care less' school of thought).

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    #5

    Man explaining something seriously in office discussion "There's no beginning to your talents".

    - Clive Anderson to Jeffrey Archer.

    vanamonde , Drazen Zigic Report

    KitchenToto
    Community Member
    Premium
    40 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Very apt response to Jeffrey Archer

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    #6

    When Anthony Faucci was speaking to Congress, he was constantly saying
    "With all due respect (to your expertise)...."

    They had no expertise.
    They knew it.
    He knew it.

    bethmarareads Report

    Cindy Brick
    Community Member
    16 hours ago

    This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

    ...and he didn't, either.

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    #7

    Man playing arcade game Tetris focused on screen in public "you rotate the square in Tetris, don't you?"

    roxyheartpirate , Patrick Kuo Report

    Nathaniel He/Him Cis-Het
    Community Member
    Premium
    18 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I like this one. You've got to make sure it fits right?

    #8

    Woman listening attentively to man discussing clever insults indoors "You’re not right, you’re simply convinced".

    gitoffmahlawn , The Yuri Arcurs Collection Report

    KitchenToto
    Community Member
    Premium
    36 minutes ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Had to think about this one because the recipient wouldn't get it

    #9

    Couple having tense discussion with woman upset and man looking away I'm envious of all the people who have never met you.

    shanthesciencenerd , Getty Images Report

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    #10

    Stressed man touching temple with closed eyes in home setting I have neither the time, nor the crayons, to explain this to you.

    ted1733 , photoroyalty Report

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    #11

    Woman covering face with hand showing emotional distress or frustration “You’re impossible to underestimate.”

    teambananabunch , Valeriia Miller Report

    Crystalwitch60
    Community Member
    1 hour ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Reply, at last your learning . what took you so long,

    #12

    Older man discussing with colleague over coffee about clever insults "I'd agree with you, but then we'd both be wrong."

    jonathanthetutor , magnific Report

    Crystalwitch60
    Community Member
    1 hour ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I’m not arguing I’m simply explaining why I’m right !

    #13

    Woman holding cup listening during clever insult conversation "As an outsider, what are your thoughts on intelligence?"

    danielle_pariseau , seventyfour Report

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    #14

    “It’s nice that you’re committed to your level of understanding.”

    “You might be the only person I’ve met that’s reached their full potential.”

    “You have the kind of unshakable confidence that usually comes with competence.”

    “I admire your courage to speak in the absence of knowledge.”

    “You’ve mastered the tone of authority without the inconvenience of depth.”

    “I like how you never let facts get in the way of your opinion.”

    “You state the obvious with such a sense of discovery.”

    triggertreats Report

    KitchenToto
    Community Member
    Premium
    31 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The second to last is my favourite

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    #15

    Saw one on here the other day:

    “The acoustics in your head must be amazing.”

    pegmelchior Report

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    #16

    “I can see how that makes sense to you”.

    meshhher Report

    #17

    Couple having tense conversation showing clever insults in relationship context To someone showing off in an obnoxious way: "That's incredibly impressive to someone who is impressed by those things".

    jayyamaki , Curated Lifestyle Report

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    #18

    My favorite is: I’d challenge you to a battle of wits but I see you are unarmed.

    eignere Report

    Janelle Collard
    Community Member
    Premium
    18 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This is a very old one.

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    #19

    “I’ve had a perfectly wonderful evening.

    But this wasn’t it.”

    Groucho Marx.

    rodwsmith68 Report

    Michael Largey
    Community Member
    17 hours ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Groucho denied ever saying it. He said it was an unnecessary violation of hospitality.

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    #20

    My all-time favorite, from The Last of the Mohicans: “…you are a man of few qualities; but taken as a whole, I was wrong to have thought so highly of you.”

    karenk1023 Report

    #21

    Young woman looking upset in group conversation about clever insults You’d be out of your depth in a puddle.

    tonyloftis , garetsworkshop Report

    KitchenToto
    Community Member
    Premium
    32 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Really like this one

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    #22

    Woman listening intently to man during serious coffee shop conversation “Confidence is key, but misplaced.”

    _auroreal_ , rawpixel.com Report

    #23

    "you're so blissfully free from the ravages of intelligence"

    (from Terry Gilliam's "Time Bandits").

    stacypatrick Report

    #24

    “You are the reason they put a list of ingredients on bags of ice.”

    peas_out_progressive Report

    #25

    One of the greatest lines in Doctor Who: “you’re a classic example of the inverse ratio between the size of the mouth and the size of the brain.”

    kinnemaniac Report

    KitchenToto
    Community Member
    Premium
    30 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Again, a very good one

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    #26

    I have nothing to contribute, but it makes me think of the Churchill (?) quote “Tact is the ability to tell someone to go to hell and having them look forward to the journey“.

    oddlyspecificwithaudra Report

    Michael Largey
    Community Member
    17 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It is generally attributed to Caskie Stinnett from his book "Out of the Red" 1968. It has not been found in anything previous to that date.

    #27

    "Thank you for reminding us how easily things can be misunderstood." I stole that one from Star Trek
    I also like "It must be really freeing to be unburdened by rational thought. I envy you."

    noxneurotica Report

    UnclePanda
    Community Member
    Premium
    33 minutes ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Bones and Spock arguing vehemently - B - Shouldn't you be working on that grand calculation we need? S - I am working on it. I'm using the remaining 2% of my mind to argue with you." (paraphrased licentiously)

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    #28

    "Both of your brain cells are up there fighting for 3rd place!"

    incognegro_75 Report

    Crystalwitch60
    Community Member
    1 hour ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    We say this about one of my foster dogs lmao little terrier thing ,like if she had a brain she would be dangerous, I called her peanut the other day, n my son in law who’s dog it is said lol yup she’s only got half a brain right, nope .. peanuts do not in fact have brains 🤣he creased said well I was trying to be nice, me nah tell it like it is lol she hence forth is known as peanut she’s

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    #29

    I’m gonna steal the one by Bilbo Baggins:
    “I don't know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

    silentotto1969 Report

    Cindy Brick
    Community Member
    16 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Nicely mentioned. I especially appreciated the looks of confusion on the hobbits' faces when he said it.

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    #30

    "you are living proof that certainty is not evidence."

    godless_mom Report

    #31

    I apologize for giving you the impression that I value your opinion.

    carminerauso_realtor Report

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    #32

    Your teachers handed your tests back to you face down, didn’t they?

    aluminawty Report

    #33

    “You have a fascinating relationship with nuance. Mostly avoidance.”

    “You treat opinions like heirlooms instead of hypotheses.”

    “You’re incredibly persuasive… if no one asks follow-up questions.”

    auravibin Report

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    #34

    "Your lack of forethought is truly inspiring."

    henryfarfsing Report

    #35

    He’s a humble man with much to be humble about.

    bcv_hijo Report

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    #36

    “I cannot deal with you today because you’re a carrot and I’m not a gardener.” (Carrot is Welsh for moron).

    lillithsorvalen Report

    Crystalwitch60
    Community Member
    1 hour ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    We Welsh do not spell carrot that way lmao .

    #37

    Logic is putty in your hands.

    thechrisbarron_ Report

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    #38

    “Wisdom has been chasing you, but you have always been faster.”

    divalaci Report

    #39

    "My days of not taking you seriously are certainly coming to a middle."

    chefbrandall Report

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    #40

    “I admire your dedication to your own limitations.”

    thefullbellyblogger Report

    #41

    There is no way an intelligent person can argue against that logic.

    yosemitesam61391 Report

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    #42

    “I am thinking you weren’t burdened with an overabundance of schooling.”

    “I have no idea what you’re doing, and that makes two of us.”

    “You are increasing the volume of your voice but not the logic of your argument.”

    “If I agreed with you, we’d both be wrong.”

    “Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries!”

    mandated_menac3 Report

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    #43

    "You have a keen grasp of the obvious."

    damndidisaythat Report

    #44

    My favorite: "On the day it rained brains, you had your umbrella open".

    bruno_jota Report

    Hissyfit
    Community Member
    Premium
    14 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My dad, in the 1960s, would say, “When they passed out the brains, he thought they said ‘trains’, and he ran behind the door and hid.”

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    #45

    I often use:

    - "Knowledge is a dance, but you lack rhythm."

    - "For this battle of knowledge, you chose to show up disarmed."

    - "I am fascinated by your decision making process."

    gataquadrada Report

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    #46

    “Your confidence does not match your intellect.” Also can be a compliment for an intelligent shy person.

    mattpepper81 Report

    Kelly H. Wilder
    Community Member
    12 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Shy does not necessarily mean lack of confidence.

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    #47

    "Your mind is a vast, uncultivated wilderness, untouched by the wearying burdens of reflection."

    "It is truly a marvel how your conscience remains so pristine, preserved as it is by a total lack of use."

    "I envy the tranquility of your soul; it is clearly unburdened by the complexities of an original thought."

    "Your silence would be an act of the highest patriotism, as it would allow the collective wisdom of the room to rise to its natural level."

    ≈ Mercy Otis Warren.

    foundingmothermercy Report

    #48

    "Let me put on my Mr. Rogers sneakers, and we'll go through this again but much slower."

    drakenescio Report

    Lily bloom
    Community Member
    17 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Hey now. That sounds like an insult towards Mr Rogers or watchers/fans of Mr Roger's and i don't like that

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    #49

    “Wisdom has been chasing you, but you always run faster.”

    kerripepper Report

    Fred
    Community Member
    9 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    heard you the first time

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