Broken heart emoji
Copy the broken heart 💔, the mending heart ❤️🩹 and the whole heart ❤️, and see when a broken heart means heartbreak and when it just means “I’m gutted”.
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What the broken heart emoji means
💔 (broken heart) is a red heart split by a jagged crack. It is the emoji for heartbreak, grief and loss, but everyday use is lighter: “they cancelled the show 💔” or “last day of holiday 💔” means gutted, not devastated. It is one of the oldest emoji and displays everywhere.
❤️🩹 (mending heart) is a red heart with a bandage, added in Emoji 13.1. It means healing, recovering or getting through it, and it is a kinder reply to someone else’s bad news than 💔, which can look like you are matching their pain. ❤️ (red heart) is the whole heart for love and support. For hearts in other colours, the purple heart guide and black heart guide cover the two most-searched.
Compare the options
| Emoji | Name | Use it for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| broken heartU+1F494 | Heartbreak, loss, “gutted” | Dramatic if the loss is small; that is usually the joke | |
| mending heartU+2764 U+FE0F U+200D U+1FA79 | Healing, recovery, support | ZWJ sequence; older devices show ❤️ and 🩹 separately | |
| red heartU+2764 U+FE0F | Love, support, “sending love” | Romantic in some contexts | |
| crying faceU+1F622 | Sadness as a face | See the sad emoji guide |
Using it well
- Your own disappointment: 💔 works for anything from a breakup to a sold-out gig.
- Someone else’s loss: ❤️ or ❤️🩹 plus words; 💔 can look performative.
- Pets and goodbyes: 💔 is common and sincere.
- Fan culture: “the season finale 💔” is standard.
Text faces you can copy
Plain-character faces that paste anywhere. Tap one to copy.
- broken heart
- heartbroken
- hurt
- crossed heart
Heartbroken, grieving and other shades of the broken heart
The broken heart emoji 💔 communicates deep sadness, whether from a breakup, a loss, or a moment of profound disappointment. Visually, it shows a red heart split by a jagged crack. It can appear in messages about romantic breakups, the loss of a loved one, or even the death of a favourite character in a film or series.
There is no separate heartless emoji; a black heart 🖤 or a 💔 can imply emotional emptiness, but 💔 specifically points to a heart that has been damaged. See the black heart emoji guide for that alternative.
Combining 💔 with other emoji and symbols
Pairing 💔 with other emoji can sharpen the feeling. The combination 💔🖤 pairs a broken heart with a black heart for a darker tone. Adding a sorrowful face like 😔 makes the emotion explicit, and the pair is often used when words feel insufficient.
There is no blue broken heart emoji in the standard set; 💔 is red. To suggest a blue broken heart, place 💔 next to 💙 or use 🖤 for a blackened effect. If you are looking for a whole blue heart, see the blue heart emoji page.
Chat examples
Real messages with 💔, and a reply that fits.
we broke up 💔
I’m coming over with ice cream
they retired my favourite player 💔
end of an era
healing slowly ❤️🩹
one day at a time
Questions people ask
What does 💔 mean from a girl or a guy?
Heartbreak or disappointment, the same from anyone. How serious it is depends on what it replies to; often it is exaggeration.
How do I copy the mending heart?
Use the ❤️🩹 card above. It is a sequence of red heart, a zero-width joiner and the adhesive bandage; the card copies the full sequence.
Is there a half heart emoji?
No. The closest are 💔 (broken) and ❤️🩹 (mending). There is no half-filled heart in the standard set.
How do I type a broken heart font symbol?
Copy the emoji from this page or use your device’s emoji keyboard. Some platforms accept the shortcode :broken_heart: to insert it.
What is the difference between 💔 and ❤️🩹?
💔 shows a broken heart, often for loss or sadness. ❤️🩹 shows a heart being mended and is used for emotional recovery or healing.
What does the broken heart emoji mean in emo culture?
The broken heart emoji 💔 often appears in emo and alternative aesthetics to express sadness, heartbreak or emotional pain. It is used in messages and social media to match a melancholy mood.
About this guide
Written and maintained by the Emoji Directory editorial team, without ads or sponsorship. Meanings describe how the emoji is commonly used in public posts and messages, not an official definition. Names, code points, versions, keywords and translations come from the Unicode Emoji 18.0 and CLDR data; shortcodes from the gemoji project. Last reviewed . Spotted a mistake or a new usage? Tell us, or read how the directory is made.
