Reeeee began online as a written imitation of a high screech, stretched with extra letters to show how long the cry lasts. It became widely recognised through rage and Pepe frog meme culture in the mid 2010s, where it was posted as a reaction to annoyance, bad luck or feeling triggered. The spoken and screamed versions followed as creators voiced the text for videos and soundboards. It has stayed popular because the meaning is instant without any context, and the longer spelling and sound make ordinary frustration feel absurdly intense.