Are you accidentally telling people you’re crying when you mean you’re laughing? Ever sent š thinking you nailed the high-five, only to confuse everyone? Well, you’re not aloneāthese emojis trick millions of people daily, and here’s what they actually mean.
Emojis that people commonly misread
Every emoji has an official name assigned by the Unicode Consortiumāthe governing body that standardizes emojis across platforms. However, many of usāincluding meātend to interpret emojis purely based on how they look. This can create a lot of confusion when the visual meaning of an emoji becomes completely different from its actual meaning. Here are the most common cases of misread emojis.
Folded handsš
This emoji officially represents folded hands, which carries different meanings across cultures. In most Western cultures, it generally signifies prayer. In some Eastern cultures, such as Japan or India, it can signify gratitude or a respectful greeting. That said, many folks mistake this as two people high-fiving each otherāwhich completely misses the intended spiritual or respectful connotations.
Person tipping handš
Officially called “Person tipping hand,” this emoji represents someone in the service industry ready to help or assist. Instead, most people interpret it as a sassy gestureāsomeone striking an attitude, doing an Egyptian dance move, or just being dismissive.
Sleepy facešŖ
The blue bubble coming from this emoji’s nose is actually a snot bubbleāa common symbol in cartoons and anime to show someone is in deep sleep. But in this depiction, that bubble often gets misread as a teardrop, making people think this emoji represents quiet crying or sadness.
Dashing awayšØ
This emoji depicts a gust of wind left behind when something speeds awayāthink the classic cartoon puff you’d see after the Road Runner zooms past Wile E. Coyote. Unfortunately, it’s been reduced to potty humor, with most people using it to casually represent passing gas.
Dizzyš«
Another cartoon-inspired emoji that depicts circling stars to mean “dizzy” or being “knocked out.” However, since the emoji is static and no human face is associated with it, most people interpret it as a shooting star instead. Especially since the “face with spiral eyesšµāš«” emoji does a better job of conveying the dizzy feeling.
Person gesturing OKš
This emoji shows a person raising both arms above their head to form an “O” shape with their entire bodyārepresenting the letter “O” in “OK.” It’s a full-body gesture signaling approval or agreement. Ironically, people often interpret it as someone holding their head in dismay, as if reacting to a catastrophe with an “Oh no, what happened?” vibeāthe complete opposite of its āreassuringā meaning.
Tired faceš«
While this emoji officially represents exhaustion, its visual appearance leans more toward whining, complaining, or general sadness. Sure, you could argue these emotions are associated with being tired, but it doesnāt necessarily mean any of that.
Loudly crying faceš & face with tears of joyš
This š officially means “loudly crying face,” while š means “face with tears of joy.” Unfortunately, many folks use š to express sadnessānot laughterāmaking it function the same way as š. This creates the same kind of confusion as someone using “LOL” to mean “lots of love” instead of “laughing out loud.”
Emojis that youāre reading correctly, but the cultural usage has changed
Even if you know what every emoji is officially called by the Unicode Consortium, you might still end up using (or understanding) it incorrectly because the culture at large has adopted them to mean something entirely different. Here are the top examples of this happening.
Face with steam from noseš¤
This emoji was originally called “face with look of triumph” and was designed to convey pride, victory, or a sense of accomplishmentāsteam blowing from the nose like a triumphant bull. But right now, it’s almost exclusively used to express anger, frustration, or being fed up with something.
Smiling face with open handsš¤ & open handsš
Both emojis were designed with warm, welcoming intentions with “open hands,” but many folks now use these to represent “jazz hands”āthat theatrical flourish where you wave your hands with fingers splayed to show excitement or add a dramatic “ta-da!” moment. Some even use them to politely gesture “no, thatās OK.”
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Skullš & skull and crossbonesā
The skull emoji is a literal skull and was originally used to represent death, danger, or simply a spooky Halloween vibe. But in modern times, itās generally used humorously to mean “Iām dead”āas in “Iām dying of laughter.” Meanwhile, the skull and crossbones ā has taken over the role of actually signifying danger or something genuinely threatening.
Melting faceš«
This is literally a face thatās melting, and most folks use it to signify extreme heatāthink sweltering weather. That said, the hot face š„µ is better at describing that emotion, so this emoji is currently used to describe the feeling of slowly disintegrating under pressure while maintaining a smile. Itās also used to show embarrassment or shame, like “I wanted to melt into the floor,” and sometimes even to describe a mental breakdown or a slow, sinking sense of dread.
Upside-down faceš
This is literally your standard emoji flipped upside down. It was originally intended to convey a sense of goofiness or sillinessālike when your cat or puppy flips upside down and smiles at you. But currently, many folks use it as their go-to symbol for passive aggression or barely concealed frustration. Itās used to capture the emotion of smiling and trying to keep your cool, while inside youāre angry and on the verge of snapping.
Nail polishš
An emoji where colored nail polish is being applied to fingernailsāyouād think itās used to quickly message someone youāre at the salon or getting your nails done. However, it’s evolved into the ultimate symbol of sassiness, confidence, and nonchalance. It’s the emoji equivalent of a hair flip or saying “I don’t care what you think.”
Goatš
We have plenty of animal emojis, but the goat emoji rarely refers to the actual farm animal anymore. Instead, it represents the acronym GOATāGreatest Of All Time. This usage exploded after rapper LL Cool J’s 2000 album titled “G.O.A.T.” If youāre not aware of this, you might feel insulted if someone says youāre a š, whereas in their head, theyāre actually paying you the ultimate compliment.
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Eye-mouth-eyeššš
This isn’t an official single emoji but rather a combination that became a viral meme around 2020. While you could see it as a crude way to create a face, it’s actually meant to capture an unsettling, awkward, or disturbing sense of witnessing something bizarre. Itās generally used to signify an unblinking stare because you canāt believe what you just saw. This is associated with bizarre or cringey content on platforms like TikTok.
Emojis, like language, are forever evolving
Just like the words “sick,” “wicked,” or “bad” went through a semantic shift and completely flipped from meaning something negative to something positive over timeāemojis also undergo the same transformation. As such, if you use emojis at work and are feeling unsure how people are using it right now, you can check out Emojipedia.orgāthe unofficial go-to resource for current emoji meanings and their evolving interpretations.
