50 Epic Fails We Can't Stop Laughing at

And you thought your day was going badly.

What defines an epic fail? Is it slipping on an icy sidewalk and having the moment perfectly captured by a camera-ready pal? Is it a poor parenting decision that gets immortalized on the internet? While the very nature of the epic fail may be hard to define, one thing is for sure: we know them when we see them, and they never fail to crack us up.

For those lucky (or, perhaps, unlucky) enough to see these fails as they're taking place, their role as onlookers-cum-amateur paparazzi leave a lasting impression on the rest of us, who become the rapt audience to these hilarious mistaken outcomes. With that said, we scoured the internet to find the most epic fails—let the uncomfortable groans begin. And for more hilarious mistakes, check out The 50 Funniest Celebrity Photoshop Fails.

1
This baby made a new friend.

Lemur on Baby Epic Fails
Image via Instagram

A trip to the zoo is a great way to keep your kids entertained for an afternoon. However, while watching the animals is fun, getting a ring-tailed lemur toupee—and trying to figure out how to get it off your sleeping infant without waking them up—is decidedly less so. And if that cracked you up, you'll love the 40 Funniest Jokes About Animals.

2
This "water-boarded" baby.

Baby Spilling Water on Face Epic Fails
Image via Instagram

Airplane air is notoriously dry, so it's always a good idea to stay hydrated when you hit cruising altitude. That said, giving your toddler free rein to possibly waterboard themselves is a more questionable parenting decision.

3
This seedy situation.

Parent Spits Sunflower Seeds on Daughter Epic Fails
Image via Instagram

The great thing about sunflower seeds is that their shells are biodegradable, meaning you can toss them back to Mother Nature without feeling an ounce of guilt. Caveat: if you are spitting them out the passenger window, make sure the window behind you isn't open, lest you adorn those napping in the backseat with your shells and spit. And for more hilarious hijinks, check out The 30 Funniest Pieces of Celebrity Parenting Advice.

4
This perturbed pajama-wearer.

Mixed up Pajama Day and Picture Day Epic Fails
Image via Instagram

Once your kid is school-aged, you'll be juggling so many events that it can feel difficult to keep track. Of course, it's important to give their schedule more than just a cursory once-over, or you risk sending them to school in their SpongeBob PJs on what was supposed to be picture day, not pajama day.

5
This "swimwear" selection.

Swim windbreakers
Image via Instagram/@courtney.h.spears

Usually swimwear has a certain look to it: either shorts or something spandex-y that makes it easy to glide through the water. Of course, there are those who throw caution to the wind and enjoy a dip in a windbreaker instead—and fortunately, this store has them covered.

6
This bathroom escapee.

Dad Chases Baby in Diaper Epic Fails
Image via Instagram

Potty training isn't always as easy as parenting books make it seem. And sometimes, that means trying to catch a baby clad only in a diaper when you're just trying to enjoy a nice dinner.

7
This condiment catastrophe.

Dad Licks Ketchup Off Son's Face Epic Fails
Image via Instagram

Ketchup is the perfect complement to a good burger—in fact, some might say that one without ketchup is hardly worth eating. And if that sometimes means slurping some errant condiments off your baby's face to enjoy your meal, so be it. And when you want to do right by your own offspring, make sure you know these 40 Parenting Hacks for Raising an Amazing Kid.

8
This menacing Minnie.

Creepy Minnie Mouse Lamp Epic Fails
Image via Instagram

Character night lights are a great way to help your child overcome their fear of the dark. That is, of course, unless you've bought this Minnie Mouse one, which both illuminates a dark room and invites its viewers to join their dark carnival of souls.

9
This Kardashtrophe.

Kourtney Kardashian Epic Fails

Kourtney Kardashian's daughter, Penelope Scotland Disick, was probably expecting her mom to open the door for her—not directly onto her. And if you think that's wild, wait until you see these 50 Crazy Celebrity Facts You Won't Believe Are True.

10
This stupidly-placed sink.

sink design fail
Image via Instagram/@interiordesigncommunity

While most contractors and interior designers try to put sinks within reach, this design team decided to target an often-forgotten population: giants with meticulous hygiene.

11
This overly-cautious sign placement.

wet floor fail
Image via Instagram/@hotmess_rayray

While, in theory, it's nice to know that the carpet beneath your feet is going to be damp before stepping on it, using two signs to indicate a little bit of water on the rug is overstating the situation's danger, to say the last.

12
This unique seating arrangement.

Daughter Dinner Epic Fail Epic Fails
Image Via Instagram

Getting your kid to sit still at dinner is no easy feat. And, of course, when parents ask their kids to stop wiggling around, they rarely add "and make sure your head is above your feet, too."

13
This Crayola contour.

Daughter Bad Clown Makeup Epic Fails
Image via Reddit

Getting the perfect Halloween makeup is more difficult than the package makes it seem sometimes. And, as was the case with this little girl, sometimes it just means you end up looking like a very upset grape.

sexual orientation questionnaire
Image via Wenqing Yan on Facebook

14
This questionable sexual orientation questionnaire.

While our understanding of human sexuality continues to expand, we're not sure that being Chinese will ever make the official list.

15
This "do as I say, not as I do" moment.

safety fail
Image via Instagram/@safecore_gs

The sign he's hanging may say "safety first," but his footing says, "who knows the shortest route to the hospital?"

16
This precarious party set-up.

powerstrip in the pool
Image via Instagram/@5sisg

Sure, there are plenty of times we wished we had a way to keep our phones charged and our stereos plugged in while hanging out in the pool. Of course, we've never been so desperate that we risked electrocuting ourselves to do so, though.

17
This shoddy spotter.

Gym Epic Fails

The point of bringing a spotter with you to the gym is to avoid injury. Unfortunately for this guy, seeing an attractive woman nearby meant all bets were off when it came to actually helping his friend with a heavy lift.

18
This necksersizer.

Gym Epic Fails

There are many different ways of training a muscle, as evidenced by the multitude of workout styles you'll see in your average gym. However, it's hard to say just what can be achieved from this forehead strap workout—aside from a serious neck injury, that is.

19
These school supplies.

Wine Back to School Shopping Epic Fails
Image via Instagram

For most kids, doing some back-to-school shopping means loading up on notebooks and pens. For the customers at this Target, however, it means snagging a couple of bottles of shiraz and some cheap sparkling wine.

20
This parking job.

We've all been there: The only spot left in the parking lot is in a puddle, but you decide to go for it anyway. Of course, before making that call, it's pretty important to note whether or not said "puddle" is actually a pond in disguise.

21
This mail fail.

mailbox fail
Image via Instagram/@poutstagram

Perhaps the owners of this mailbox weren't going for something intentionally confusing, but the "not for mail" sign directly over the one that indicates it's a letter receptacle certainly has us scratching our heads.

22
This perilous plug.

electrical outlet
Image via Instagram/@make_it_right

It doesn't take an electrician to know that, no matter how much it might pique your curiosity, you should never test out the mystery plug.

23
This dry dock.

It takes some skill to properly dock a boat. And for these adventurers, who lack either a dock or the skills necessary to get their vessel close to dry land, that means an even more arduous task in the future: trying to get their boat out of the woods.

24
This lipstick look.

lipstick on toddler
Image via Instagram/@jessica.energy

Kids love copying their parents' behavior, and in most cases, it turns out adorably, with little feet clomping around in high heels or pretending to shave in the mirror with a comb. And sometimes, it just means your baby ends up looking like she has a thirst for human blood. And when you want to avoid incidents like this, read up on the 20 Biggest Regrets Nearly Every Parent Has.

25
This less-than-stable-ladder.

ladder fail
Image via Instagram/@safetyfails

One of the most important aspects of starting a successful contracting business is having the right tools. And if that fails, you can always just call on your friends who aren't afraid of the world beyond this one.

26
This clever caller ID.

Spam caller
Image via Instagram/@amyz5

If you're trying to steal someone's identity over the phone, it might behoove you to test the number on a friend's caller ID first. Of course, the fine folks behind this illegal scam didn't get the message.

27
This woeful windmill.

Windpower is an amazing alternative to traditional energy sources. Of course, you're going to want to make sure you're not directly in the path of the turbines, in case they're not quite as capable of handling heavy winds as you'd hoped.

28
This terrible training.

human trafficking fail
Image via Instagram/@klashl1

The fight against human trafficking is a noble cause. Training people to enter the industry, as this sign suggests? Not so much.

29
This not-great garage.

Garage door fail
Image via Instagram/@jobsite_jerry

Whoever designed this garage door, located about a foot off the ground, was definitely hoping their car had a lot more cool capabilities than your average sedan or SUV.

30
This golf cart pileup.

Can you stack shopping carts back to back to save space? Of course. Can you do the same with golf carts near a pond? As evidenced by this photo, the answer is no.

31
This phenomenal driver.

Truck Stuck in Street Epic Fails
Image via Facebook

We don't want to be spoilsports about this, but we think that "phenomenal" may be an overstatement regarding the skill of this driver.

32
This creative cement-layer.

Cement Layers Epic Fails
Image via Facebook

Why pave a surface correctly the first time when you can very carefully balance your body on a bucket and board, hoping the entire time you don't end up with a face full of cement in the process?

33
This fire safety fail.

fire extinguisher water bottle
Image via Instagram/@gorvexonline

Ideally, fire extinguishers put out a fire from a safe distance, making sure nobody involved in quelling the blaze gets injured in the process. Of course, lightly hydrating it is polite, too. And for more silly signage, check out The 30 Funniest Jokes on Road Warning Signs.

34
This precarious perch.

kid on construction site
Image via Instagram/@laurenbennettinteriors

They say that you can't watch your kids every second of every day, and that certainly seems to be the case with this Spider-Man-in-training, whose epic climbing skills seem to have even impressed his contractor pal.

35
This cherry picker problem.

cherry picker fail
Image via Instagram/@sheqsys

While getting on the roof of a building can be a precarious proposition as it is, these workers decided to ensure it was downright dangerous for everyone involved by parking their cherry picker on a lower roof.

36
This hubristic hardware.

computer fail
Image via Instagram/@scottkrva

They say hindsight is 20/20, and we're sure whoever designed this absolutely obsolete machine is likely thinking twice about their choice of slogan right about now.

37
This confusing cake.

cake fail
Image via Instagram/@debbienews

Perhaps the recipient of this cake is choosing between a life in two cities in Arizona. However, what its lettering indicates is that they have the choice between becoming Italian and going to a merrily misspelled land.

38
This boardwalk bro.

Man Falls Off Boardwalk Epic Fails
Image via Facebook

While visual symmetry can improve the composition of any BFF photo, you'd probably be wise to stay on the inside of the railing if you're not known for your steady footing. Or, you can always just go for an unintentional dip.

39
This poolside partier.

Woman Falls into Pool Epic Fails
Image via Facebook

Catching up with your friends by the pool is the ultimate way to relax on vacation. Unfortunately, the wrong shoes and a poor sense of balance can easily lead to catastrophes-to-be like this one.

40
This cabinetry calamity.

poorly placed cabinets
Image via Instagram/@creativecabinetsllc

While it's always nice to save space in a small kitchen, rendering the room's cabinets and drawers completely useless in the process is rarely the work of an A-plus contractor.

41
This fiery pose.

Girl Lights Hair on Fire Epic Fails
Image via Facebook

Before attempting to work your angles in a group photo, first make sure there are no candles on the table that might accidentally set your head on fire.

42
This ruined evening.

Drink Falls on Friends Epic Fails
Image via Facebook

Raising the roof is a questionable enough move in a photo to begin with, but attempting to do so when you've got a full drink in your hand is the first step toward a truly epic fail.

43
This dessert disaster.

Brownie explosion
Image via Instagram/@npalashoff

There's a few things you should check before you bake something: the recipe, the cooking time, and whether you can actually place that glass dish in the oven at all.

44
This premature thumbs up.

Bike Crash Epic Fails
Image via Facebook

This biker may have thought he was nailing this stunt right before the picture was snapped, but it's clear that he was a little premature in providing assurances that everything was A-OK.

45
This furniture fail.

couch in window
Image via Instagram/@moldex_metric

There are many reasons to hire reputable movers. Of course, one of them is so you never have to stand on your shirtless friend's back to hurl a couch through a second-story balcony.

46
This bad babyproofing

corn pick in outlet
Image via Instagram/@ginannanna

Babyproofing your home is essential before you bring a little one home. What you won't find in any parenting books, however, are suggestions to substitute traditional outlet covers with corn cob holders.

47
This Coke catastrophe.

Man With Bottle Coming Towards Him Epic Fails
Image via Facebook

The "Share a Coke With…" campaign is generally taken to mean just that—and not "lob a full bottle at your unsuspecting friend's face."

48
This menacing mask.

pore mask marketing fail
Image via Instagram/via-@wolfwomanhowl

While the mask itself is a little off-putting, the idea that it's so detoxifying that vegetation will literally grow from your eyeballs is even more so.

49
This disastrous door.

Door placement fail
Image via Instagram/@mccdllc

Doors are generally accepted as the primary means of keeping unwanted things and people out of our house. And whoever designed this dwelling more or less had that in mind, but decided to make a few exceptions for snakes, mice, bugs, leaves, dirt, and basically anything else under three inches tall.

50
This dangerous donkey.

man painting building
Image via Instagram/@thesafetydocumentstore

Getting the perfect exterior job is never easy—particularly not when you're the donkey who also seems to be the literal backbone of the operation. And for more fuzzy friends shouldering more than their fair share of responsibility, check out these 15 Animals With Impressive Titles.

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Ashley Moor
Ashley hails from Dayton, Ohio, and has more than six years of experience in print and digital media. Read more
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