What 55 Emojis REALLY Mean (and How to Use Them)

There are 7.5 billion people on Earth. But, there are 6 billion emoticons or stickers shared on mobile each day.

That’s a whole lot of emojis.

Whether you like it or not, emojis are overtaking written communication on social. But do you know what emojis really mean?

To avoid an emoji faux pas, we created this guide to emoji marketing. Check out our list of emoji meanings and usage tips below, and you’ll be emoji-fluent in no time!

55 essential emoji meanings explained

Learn what the most common emojis actually mean, and how other brands are using them.

😀 😄 There is only a slight real difference between these two. Using either grinning face is a great default emoji for most situations on social. Only use the mouth-closed smile if you want to seem reserved.

😂 This face is pure LMAO hilarity. This face is laughing so hard it’s crying. Use this in response to hilarious tweets or if you’re posting about something super funny.

😉 Making a joke? The winking face is a good way to indicate that you are kidding or teasing.

😊 This blushing smiley face is often used in response to a compliment or to emphasize a happy-yet-shy feeling. If this emoji were one of Snow White’s seven dwarves, it would be Bashful.

😋 This emoji is actually described as a “face devouring delicious food,” but most people use it to express silliness, joking, or teasing.

😎 This emoji is all about “cool” or “all good.” People use it to say, “I’m cool,” “that’s cool,” “be cool.” Or, for the literal-minded, use it to say, “Please protect your eyes from UV rays in the summer.” Not a bad use case for optometrists!

😍 Fun fact: the first emoji was created in the late 1990s in Japan, and many emojis seem to pull from common anime expressions. The heart-filled eyes of this emoji is a great example. It signifies love at first sight, like in this screenshot from the Sailor Moon cartoon:

Check out how Buffer uses it:

😑 Although described as an “expressionless face,” this emoji is usually used to express annoyance.

😮 This emoji is also a reaction on Facebook, and it means the same thing in both places — “wow,” or an expression of shock and awe.

😫 😩 One of these faces is described as “tired,” and the other is “weary,” but they are both used to express the same feeling: “Nooooooooooooooooooo!”

This is an odd one. The upside down smiley face is usually used in the context of a joke, teasing, silliness, or having fun with being weird. If something has you feeling topsy-turvy, this is a good choice.

😟 A frown means the same thing everywhere — unhappiness or sadness. Typically brands use this emoji to show sympathy.

😞 You’ll come across the “disappointed face” when people are trying to show that they feel let down or discouraged.

😭 The “loudly crying” emoji is usually used when you’re trying to show that you’re being over dramatically frustrated or disappointed. It is sometimes used in a serious context, but not often.

😬 This emoji is described as “grimacing,” but usually it’s used to express awkwardness or being uncomfortable.

😱 The screaming face says it all in a glance. If you’re ever thinking “AHHHHHH” in your mind or on social, this emoji would be a great supplement.

😳 The “flushed face” is actually used to express mortified embarrassment or the idea that you’ve been shocked into silence.

👻 The ghost is used to symbolize Snapchat, or for Halloween-themed messages. https://twitter.com/49ers/status/775480387392995328

🙅 In one word, this woman with her arms crossed in front of her says, “NOPE.”

🙌 This emoji of two hands being raised up in the air can symbolize a couple of things. First, it can symbolized raising your hands up for someone or something, meaning you think they are awesome. Second, it can be used as a kind of way to say, “preach” or “praise,” as in, you think what that person is saying is golden.

🙏 This emoji of two hands together also has three meanings. It can be a symbol of thanks, it can symbolize praying for something, or it can symbolize, “please.”

💪 The flexed bicep usually is used to express strength or winning. It’s also prime to use for Rosie the Riveter references.

👌 A-Ok!

👍 A great default response for brands, the thumbs up emoji is simple, straightforward, and safe.

👊 Slack actually describes this emoji as “facepunch,” but it’s almost never used that way. It’s used to symbolize a fist bump, or to express that you have someone’s back.

👋 The waving hand emoji is a great accompaniment anytime you say “hi” to someone on social.

👏 Give your audience a round of applause with this clapping hands emoji.

👀 Want people to take a closer look? Use this emoji to get eyeballs on your content. You can also use it to say, “Hey, I see you.”

🙈 This emoji is part of a group of three see/hear/say no evil monkeys. However, this emoji is seen the most often by far, because it is used to symbolize slapping yourself on the forehead. If you’ve ever thought, “Oh no!” or “Doi!” then this is an emoji for you.

🍀 Wish someone good luck with this four leaf clover emoji.

⭐ Give out gold stars or rate someone or something with five stars in a row.

⚡ This “high voltage sign” is most often used to signify lightning, or being lightning fast.

🔥 This emoji is ON FIRE!

🎂 It’s a birthday cake. Use it for birthdays. Enough said.

Congratulate or celebrate with others by sharing this popping champagne bottle emoji.

🚨 This “police car revolving light” emoji is usually used to symbolize an alert or breaking news.

🎉 Probably the most common celebration symbol, this “party popper” emoji can be found all over social.

🎊 You may think this emoji is two bells with streamers, but it is, in fact, a popped confetti ball. It’s often used to show celebration or congratulations.

💥 Called the “collision symbol,” this exploding emoji is typically used to symbolize celebration, kind of like a firework. It embodies the emotion behind the expression, “BOOM baby!”

🎥 If you have video content or want your audience to watch a webinar, this movie camera emoji is a great addition to your message.

📷 The camera is a great symbol to use on Instagram Stories or Snapchat is you want your audience to get ready to take a screenshot.

💡 Got a great idea? Symbolize it with this light bulb emoji.

📈 An upwards trending chart emoji should be a part of every marketer’s social toolbox.

🔑 The key emoji is used a lot on social, and Snapchat in particular, to symbolize key takeaways, findings, points, etc.

💓 The beating heart helps you show people that what they said or did make your heart go pitter-patter.

💕 You can think of this as floating hearts — perhaps more whimsical than just one heart? In any case, add it to your heart emoji arsenal.

💖 The differences between some of the heart emojis is probably a little arbitrary. But hey, a sparkly heart shows how much your platonic love for your audience shines!

💗 This growing heart emoji is useful for showing how someone’s compliment just made your heart swell.

❤️ 💙 💚 💛 💜 Show people some love with the heart emojis. If you want to make sure that love comes off as casual, you can always stick to any color other than red.

💝 Again, there is no end to the variety of hearts you can choose from. This ribbon bedecked heart could be a present of your love or a box of chocolates. Either way, it’s sweet!

🚫 Want to object to an idea or emphasize that something is not allowed? This emoji can do that.

✅ Learning about emojis? Check! This check mark emoji is also great for lists.

💯 Show that you think an article, idea, or quote is top-notch with this emoji.

How to use emojis on social media

If a brand or individual uses emojis to communicate with you, the message usually has greater emotional impact, because of the use of visuals. However, there is also a lack of seriousness, because you are using cute little symbols rather than words.

If someone has sent you a message with emojis that is angry or sad — really, any negative emotion — then you should reply seriously with written text.

If you receive a positive message from someone that uses emojis, then feel free to send some emoji-love right back! Don’t use the same emojis as the other sender — check out our list below for ideas of popular emoji responses from brands.

If someone sends a message to you without emojis, don’t feel like you can’t throw in your own when you respond. Use emojis to emphasize your response, or, if you’re in a rush, it’s always helpful to quickly shoot an emoji back, rather than writing out a response.

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