They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and in the age of the internet, GIFs are the embodiment of that. These moving images have penetrated society's lexicon over the past years, enabling scores of people to simply express what they're thinking and feeling with a GIF from a pop culture moment, sports event, animal behavior, or anything else captured on loop with a camera.
Giphy has revealed the most popular GIFs of 2016 -- some that are easy to discern where they came from and others that are simply random, but widely used.
1. Illustrated President Obama mic drop
[iframe src="//giphy.com/embed/3o6Zthv4W72jUHRCUg" width="480" height="480" frameBorder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowFullScreen][/iframe]
While the original GIF of President Obama dropping the mic at his final White House Correspondents' Dinner was popular, Giphy claimed that this illustrated one done by artist Julie Winegard "far outpaced the original GIF ... and all other GIFs for 2016."
2. Crying Michael Jordan
[iframe src="//giphy.com/embed/26FPImXfDlv4AFbBC" width="480" height="270" frameBorder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowFullScreen][/iframe]
Highly used recently around sporting events, such as the World Series. Of course it's far-reaching.
3. Sloth from 'Zootopia'
[iframe src="//giphy.com/embed/3NtY188QaxDdC" width="480" height="480" frameBorder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowFullScreen][/iframe]
4. Unamused old lady
[iframe src="//giphy.com/embed/l4HnKwiJJaJQB04Zq" width="480" height="451" frameBorder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowFullScreen][/iframe]
This GIF came from a Giphy promotional video, a moment that was extracted and became its own thing. The company said that this GIF was particularly popular on Twitter.
5. Chris Christie looking annoyed
[iframe src="//giphy.com/embed/26hitHKYT2iHlKY0g" width="480" height="266" frameBorder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowFullScreen][/iframe]
Poor Governor Chris Christie. He failed to win the Republican presidential nomination, become selected as vice president, or even attorney general. But if there's one accolade that he can be proud of is that he's the subject of the most popular political GIF of the year.
6. Broad City
[iframe src="//giphy.com/embed/xT9DPQd5FpFWfHpIu4" width="480" height="264" frameBorder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowFullScreen]<[/iframe]
7. Lady Gaga and Leonardo DiCaprio from the Golden Globes
[iframe src="//giphy.com/embed/3o6UBk0HvOGDCiA4Ni" width="480" height="267" frameBorder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowFullScreen][/iframe]
8. Hello Bear
[iframe src="//giphy.com/embed/c9ndlj2AUhaqk" width="480" height="257" frameBorder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowFullScreen][/iframe]
O hai there. Giphy said that this GIF actually was quite popular on Tinder. And why not? Who could say no to that bear?
9. 'People vs. OJ Simpson'
[iframe src="//giphy.com/embed/l2R032V7qRAF8J6qA" width="480" height="238" frameBorder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowFullScreen][/iframe]
The popular retelling of the OJ Simpson trial now has one of the top 10 GIFs of the year. Guilty as charged.
10. 'Deal with it' cat
[iframe src="//giphy.com/embed/MGCTZalz2doFq" width="480" height="248" frameBorder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowFullScreen][/iframe]
11. Hillary Clinton
[iframe src="//giphy.com/embed/3o85xspHMaZxVGbzY4" width="480" height="269" frameBorder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowFullScreen][/iframe]
Hillary Clinton doesn't actually place in the top GIFs of 2016, but Kate McKinnon's Saturday Night Live impression does.
12. Minions
[iframe src="//giphy.com/embed/1MTLxzwvOnvmE" width="480" height="259" frameBorder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowFullScreen][/iframe]
13. Flower scares cat
[iframe src="//giphy.com/embed/WVYksxODMY4vK" width="480" height="480" frameBorder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowFullScreen][/iframe]
This is all of us.
14. 'Sup' seal
[iframe src="//giphy.com/embed/ypqHf6pQ5kQEg" width="480" height="525" frameBorder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowFullScreen][/iframe]
Giphy said this was also a popular Tinder GIF. I suppose cute animals saying hi will always work on Tinder.
15. Showbiz pizza training video
[iframe src="//giphy.com/embed/3rgXBxIdlkiBg0b7VK" width="480" height="360" frameBorder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowFullScreen][/iframe]
16. Slipping penguin
[iframe src="//giphy.com/embed/C9AuY1VOvurxm" width="480" height="270" frameBorder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowFullScreen][/iframe]
This ain't Happy Feet.
17. Mic drop Captain Obvious
[iframe src="//giphy.com/embed/xT9DPhONuz1SpCONiM" width="480" height="480" frameBorder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowFullScreen][/iframe]
OK, so obviously this isn't an Obama GIF, but this mic drop featuring the mascot for Hotels.com remains a popular one.
18. Monkey love
[iframe src="//giphy.com/embed/42YlR8u9gV5Cw" width="480" height="311" frameBorder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowFullScreen][/iframe]
The first love-centric GIF on the list. Giphy said that "I love you" is a top search on its service.
19. Rad dogman
[iframe src="//giphy.com/embed/oaBBXmpZa4n6g" width="480" height="270" frameBorder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowFullScreen][/iframe]
Cute small dog head? Check. Human body? Check. Randomness? Check. There's a popular GIF.
20. Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Drinking
[iframe src="//giphy.com/embed/l0MYOipA8xfNILg1q" width="480" height="267" frameBorder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowFullScreen][/iframe]
Buffy is particular about what she drinks.
21. Pandas
[iframe src="//giphy.com/embed/l0MYOwS7JDddcyo3m" width="480" height="480" frameBorder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowFullScreen][/iframe]
22. Bitch better have my money
[iframe src="//giphy.com/embed/xTiTny5Iu35uW0Jl9C" width="480" height="270" frameBorder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowFullScreen][/iframe]
23. 'Children's Hospital' celebration confetti
[iframe src="//giphy.com/embed/s2qXK8wAvkHTO" width="480" height="316" frameBorder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowFullScreen][/iframe]
24. 100% soft heart burger
[iframe src="//giphy.com/embed/l39765g6zcASQXGMg" width="480" height="480" frameBorder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowFullScreen][/iframe]
We all love burgers.
25. The Simpsons MWAH
[iframe src="//giphy.com/embed/3o8doT9BL7dgtolp7O" width="480" height="316" frameBorder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowFullScreen][/iframe]
Oh, Carl Carlson ... just perfect.