Quiet Cracking
Slowly becoming unhappy in the workplace
Example
Trey seems exhausted lately. Do you think everything's okay?
He seems to be quiet cracking
Maybe it's time he takes a break or even a vacation
I'll talk to him later today
Related Slang
| Quiet quitting | Only doing the minimum requirements for a job |
| The Great Resignation | People quitting their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| Rage applying | Applying to open job positions out of spite for your current job |
| Career cushioning | Searching for a new job while employed |
| Covid | COVID-19 |
| AWLTP | Avoiding work like the plague |
| ADIH | Another day in Hell |
| B2W | Back to work |
| Cyberslacking | Using an employer's Internet for personal activities while working |
| GB2W | Get back to work |
| GBTW | Get back to work |
| Blue-collar boomerang | Workers returning to their blue-collar jobs |
How well do you know your texting slang?
Quiet cracking is a workplace slang term that describes someone who is gradually becoming unhappy, burned out, and emotionally drained at work without openly complaining or quitting, developing small emotional "cracks" that slowly grow over time. Unlike "quiet quitting," where an employee intentionally sets firmer work-life boundaries, quiet cracking is more of a slow internal struggle. A person may still show up, complete their tasks, and appear fine on the surface while quietly losing motivation, confidence, or enthusiasm.
The term emerged in 2025 during a wave of workplace buzzwords and gained attention through HR publications, business media, and social media discussions. It is often linked to research from the learning platform "TalentLMS," whose employee survey in March 2025 helped popularize the expression, though no single individual is credited with creating it. Today, managers, HR professionals, career coaches, journalists, and employees may use "quiet cracking" when discussing burnout, workplace stress, and the hidden signs that someone may be struggling long before they decide to leave their job.