Emojis And Their Meanings 2021
Emojis are all over the place. They can be found in social media feeds, text messages, ads, and merchandise, among other places. Every year, the number increases, and our digital language evolves along with it.
It can be difficult to figure out what an emoji means at times. While they may appear to be simple at first glance, they can have a variety of meanings depending on the context.
Table of Contents
The Science of Emojis in a Nutshell
Emojis are fantastic. They’re the simplest way to add a dash of emotion to your daily texts.
In a nutshell, they are used to:
• be able to express themselves
• encourage interaction
• set an emotive tone
Do they, however, genuinely work? they actually work, according to science. And they have a lot of clout. Customers who used them were deemed to be more sociable, according to studies.
Emojis with faces were discovered to have higher influence than ones without faces (a smiley emoji vs. a heart, for example).
They have the ability to alter our emotions, improve our relationships, and even assist us in learning.
To assist you, we’ve compiled a list of the most popular emojis and explained their meanings.
My Favorite Happy Emojis and Their Meanings
🙂 Smiling Emoji
“I’m happy for you! Sort of
Best for: Light compliments or appearing interested but not.
Bad for: Sarcasm. It just doesn’t work: “I’m totally going to stab you in the back. 🙂 Haha. Hahaha.
😃 Grinning Face Emoji
“I’m happy for you! Really!”
Are you genuinely happy and want to show it? This is the emoji for you!
Best for: Genuine compliments, congratulating friends, showing excitement.
Bad for: Admitting you’re cheating on your partner, reacting to celebrity death news, anything that requires you to be sad.
😁 Grinning Face with Smiling Eyes Emoji
“I’m happy and I don’t care what anyone else thinks!”
Best for: When you’re happy but don’t know if the other person feels the same. Not like you care, anyway.
Bad for: Corny pickup jokes.
😂 Laughing Face Emoji
“This is slightly amusing so I’ll send this emoji. But I’m probably not laughing
Best for: Text convos that aren’t really funny or are slightly amusing at best.
Bad for: Expressing genuine laughter.
😞 Sad Emoji
“My head hangs down in sadness.”
Best for: Apologizing for your mistakes, showing your utmost disappointment.
Bad for: Nothing, you can use this anytime you’re sad.
😕 Confused Emoji
“Uhh, did you seriously just say that?”
Best for: Sending a wrong-doer that “old man” look of disapproval. Even if you’re not old. Or a man.
Bad for: Friends and family, people you want to build rapport with.
🥺 Sad Eyes Emoji
“Awww, pwetty pwease?”
Best for: Convincing your loving hubby to make a late-night stop at Target.
Bad for: Men asking girls out. Ew, please no.
😳 Embarrassed Emoji
“Uh… I feel kinda uncomfortable.”
Best for: Cringeworthy dad jokes and awkward romance.
Bad for: Showing genuine appreciation
🙃 Upside-Down Face Emoji
“WeeEEEeeeEE!”
Best for: Close friends and those that get your dark, sarcastic humor. April Fools’ Day pranks.
Bad for: Anything related to work.
🤷 Shrug Emoji
“Meh. I don’t know.”
Best for: Showing off your nonchalant attitude.
Bad for: Responding to your wife when she asks, “What do you want to eat tonight?”
😎 Smiling Face with Sunglasses Emoji
“Yeah, I’m cool.”
Best for: Truly epic moments.
Bad for: Any other time you wouldn’t get a “Whoa!” response from your friend.
🥶 Cold Face Emoji
“Baby, it’s cold outside!”
Best for: Replying to snarky comments, texting friends who live in Northern Europe.
Bad for: Complaining how it’s too cold where you are… to your friends who live in Northern Europe.
🤣 Rolling on the Floor Laughing Emoji
“This is so funny I want to convey I’m laughing, but since you couldn’t see how much I laughed here’s a bunch of emojis instead.”
Best for: Anytime you actually want to ROFL, replacing “LOL.”
Bad for: Formal or polite relationships.
😑 Annoyed Emoji
“All right, I’ve had enough.”
Best for: When your overly-zealous friend sends you yet another political meme.
Bad for: Responding to your mother-in-law’s request to invite herself to your house. Again.
😡 Angry Face Emoji
“I’m getting tired of your $#!*”
Best for: Play-fights with your spouse.
Bad for: Actual fights with your spouse.
😬 Grimacing Face Emoji
“I’m tense and don’t know what to say.”
Best for: Tense situations with no clear exit.
Bad for: Responding to your crush about how you truly feel.
😲 Surprised Emoji
“Ahhh!”
Best for: A wide variety of situations. Great for responding to texts from friends who have newsworthy stories.
Bad for: Daily mundane topics.
😱 Shocked Emoji
“AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!”
Best for: Finding out your BFF ordered you delivery pizza, finding out that people judge you within 7 seconds.
Bad for: Showing appreciation for your crush after he sends a pic of his six—err… one-pack.
😨 Scared Emoji
“I’m scared but not in immediate danger.”
Best for: Surprising your friends with a 180-degree “Gotcha! I’m not really scared but JK-ing” text.
Bad for: Showing genuine fear, like if your reptile-loving friend wanted to bring over her 10-foot-long python to the party.
Heart Emojis and Their Meanings
What does the ❤️ Red Heart Emoji mean?
“I love you, basically.”
The Red Heart is used to show love and affection for romantic partners, family, friends, objects, group meetups, your dog, your cat… Wow, I can go on forever.
That’s because the Red Heart is the vanilla ice cream of heart emojis.
Best for: If you can’t think of anything else to send but you want to show affection.
Bad for: Eh, not much. It’s hard to go bad with vanilla.
What does the 🧡 Orange Heart Emoji mean?
“I didn’t even know this emoji existed.”
Best for: Surprising friends with your vast emoji knowledge.
Bad for: Showing love. Because orange just isn’t quite red enough.
What does the 💛 Yellow Heart Emoji mean?
“I’m happy for you.”
Best for: Family and friends. Repelling creepy lovers.
Bad for: Anything romantic.
What does the 💚 Green Heart Emoji mean?
“I love kale!”
Best for: Supporting the murder of kale instead of pigs.
Bad for: Probably a good idea to avoid this if you’re not Irish or a plant lover.
What does the 💙 Blue Heart Emoji mean?
“You’re an amazing friend.”
Best for: Cementing your BFF status.
Bad for: Your soulmate or crush.
What does the 💜 Purple Heart Emoji mean?
“I’m fabulous!”
Best for: Showing off your inner diva.
Bad for: Serious office workers.
What does the 💕 Two Hearts Emoji mean?
“My love for you is in the air, baby!”
This is the proper emoji to show love.
Best for: Lovers. Soulmates. BFFs.
Bad for: Literally anything other than that.
What does the 💖 Sparkling Heart Emoji mean?
“My heart is special and unique!”
Best for: Showing you’re a little more than just basic. Weddings and fanciful events.
Bad for: Nope, nothing. You can use this heart basically anywhere. 💖
What does the 💔 Broken Heart Emoji mean?
“That sucks. But I’ll get over it. Probably.”
Best for: Casual jokes and self-deprecating humor.
Bad for: Real broken hearts. If you’re feeling (really) hurt, get off the emoji train and talk face-to-face.
What does the 🖤 Black Heart Emoji mean?
“You’re dead to me.”
Best for: *Ahem. * Letting people know you’d like them to slip on a banana peel.
Bad for: Uh, any other situation besides pure hate.
Flirty Emojis and Their Meanings
Want to add a little sugar and spice to your conversations? Here are 5 emojis to get your flirt on.
😉 Winking Face Emoji
This is the basic emoji to turn any innocent comment into something a little naughtier.
😈 Smiling Face with Horns Emoji
This is basically the Winking Emoji, but with the dial turned to 11 (did you appreciate that Spinal Tap reference?).
👅 Tongue Emoji
If you’re 8, this is a playful tongue. If you’re 18, all of a sudden, this playful tongue takes on new meaning.
🍑 Peach Emoji
Who doesn’t love a good ol’ ripe peach?