What Does 🥹 Mean? The Holding Back Tears Emoji Explained
The 🥹 emoji — officially called 'Face Holding Back Tears' — quickly became one of the most used emojis after its release. But what does it actually mean?
What 🥹 Means
The 🥹 emoji officially means 'Face Holding Back Tears' — a face with slightly upturned eyes, a quivering lip, and the look of someone trying not to cry.
In practice, people use it for: being overwhelmed by something heartwarming, feeling touched or moved by something, expressing gratitude or appreciation, a mix of happiness and sadness (bittersweet feeling).
How People Actually Use 🥹
'This video of a dog seeing its owner return from deployment 🥹' — expressing touching emotion
'You remembered my favorite order 🥹' — gratitude and being touched
'Last day of summer break 🥹' — bittersweet nostalgia
'My best friend is moving across the country 🥹' — sad but supportive
🥹 vs 🥺 — What's the Difference?
🥺 Pleading Face — more explicitly asking for something, puppy-dog eyes, begging.
🥹 Holding Back Tears — moved by emotion, touched, trying to keep it together.
Think of 🥺 as wanting something, and 🥹 as being overwhelmed by feeling something.
When Was 🥹 Added?
🥹 was added in Emoji 14.0 (September 2021) and became available on major platforms in 2022. It quickly went viral on TikTok and Twitter.