Crying emoji
Copy the loudly crying face 😭 and its quieter relatives, and see which one fits: heartbreak, laughing until you cry, or a single tear.
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Which crying emoji says what
The emoji most people mean by “crying emoji” or “sob emoji” is 😭, the loudly crying face: two rivers of tears and an open mouth. Its meaning has drifted. It still works for real sadness, but online it is at least as often used for being overwhelmed by something funny, cute or dramatic, in the same way people say “I’m crying” about a joke.
😢 (crying face) is the gentle version: one tear, closed mouth, genuine sadness or sympathy. 🥲 (smiling face with tear) mixes relief, gratitude or bittersweet feelings. 🥹 (face holding back tears) is the one for being touched, proud or about to cry from happiness.
Compare the options
| Emoji | Name | Use it for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| loudly crying faceU+1F62D | Intense sadness, or laughing / dying over something | Tone depends on context; it can be either | |
| crying faceU+1F622 | Quiet sadness, sympathy, “that’s so sad” | Rarely used for jokes | |
| smiling face with tearU+1F972 | Bittersweet, relieved, “happy but a little sad” | Newer emoji; may not render on old devices | |
| face holding back tearsU+1F979 | Touched, grateful, proud, “I can’t handle this” | Newer emoji; check the version in the table | |
| face with tears of joyU+1F602 | Laughing hard | Not a crying emoji; see the laughing emoji guide |
When to use 😭 and when to soften it
- Reacting to something funny in a group chat: 😭 on its own, or stacked 😭😭😭, is read as “this is hilarious”.
- Actual bad news: 😢 or words. A loudly crying face can look like you are performing the emotion.
- Comforting someone: 🥹 or ❤️ often lands better than any crying face. The sad emoji guide covers the calmer faces.
- Missing someone: 😭 is common and reads as warm exaggeration (“miss you so much 😭”).
Questions people ask
What is the difference between 😭 and 😢?
😭 has streaming tears and an open mouth and is used for big feelings, funny or sad. 😢 has a single tear and a closed mouth and is almost always sincere sadness.
Is there a “sob emoji”?
“Sob” is a nickname, not a Unicode name. People mean 😭, whose official name is loudly crying face.
Why does my crying emoji show as a box?
🥲 and 🥹 are newer additions. A device that has not updated its emoji font shows a blank box or a question mark. The older 😭 and 😢 display everywhere.
