The “Most Hated” CSS Feature: cos() and sin()
September 24, 2025
This shocks me, if I’m being honest. Are really trigonometric functions really that hated? I know “hated” is not the same as saying something is “worst”, but it still has an awful ring to it. And I know I’m being a little dramatic here, since only “9.1% of respondents truly hate trigonometry.” But that’s still too much shade being thrown for my taste.
Source: The “Most Hated” CSS Feature: cos() and sin() | CSS-Tricks
In the recent Sustainable CSS survey, the answer to the most hated CSS features were trigonometric functions like sin and cos. Now, why anyone would be hating on any features of a programming language is kind of a little beyond me, but there you go.
However, I think this taps into a deeper anxiety about mathematics that is widespread in our society. As someone who studied mathematics at university many many years ago, and has raised four children, again and again I have noticed an instinctive negativity toward mathematics.
So it kind of makes sense that these very mathematical features of CSS would be those that CSS developers are least comfortable with.
But fear not. Juan Diego Rodríguez is here to help you understand at least the basics of Trigonometry and how you might use these functions in your CSS.
