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Fingers crossed emoji: crossed fingers 🤞
The gesture guide

Fingers crossed emoji

🤞 is hope and good luck — and, sometimes, a fib. Copy it in any skin tone here.

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A little context

What the fingers crossed emoji means

🤞 (crossed fingers, Emoji 3.0) means hoping for luck: “fingers crossed the weather holds”, “🤞 for the interview”. It is the standard good-luck emoji and pairs naturally with 🙏 and 🍀. Its second meaning is the childhood one — crossing your fingers behind your back to excuse a small lie — which turns up in jokes (“I definitely read the terms 🤞”). All five skin tones are available.

Unicode name: crossed fingers · U+1F91E · Emoji 3.0 (2016) · group: People & Body.

IN A MESSAGEresults tomorrow, keep everything crossed 🤞

How people use it

  • Good luck: to someone before an exam, match or interview
  • Hoping: about weather, deliveries, tickets
  • White lies: jokey admissions
  • Combos: 🤞🍀, 🤞🙏

Compare the options

EmojiNameUse it forWatch out for
crossed fingersU+1F91ELuck, hope, a fibClear and friendly
folded handsU+1F64FPlease, hope, thanksSee the pray emoji guide
four leaf cloverU+1F340Four-leaf clover; luckPairs with 🤞
hand with index finger and thumb crossedU+1FAF0Finger heartSee the heart hands guide

The fingers crossed meme

The crossed fingers emoji often appears in memes about hoping for an unlikely outcome. You will see it in captions like “that moment when you submit an assignment at 11:59 🤞” or as a reaction to news that feels too good to be true.

The meme often leans on the gap between optimism and reality. It works because the gesture itself is a silent plea: please let this happen. Pair it with a straight face or a pleading face for extra comedic effect.

MEME CAPTIONwhen you say you’re only getting one drink 🤞

Cross finger emoji: skin tones and variations

The crossed fingers emoji is available in five skin tones: 🤞🏻, 🤞🏼, 🤞🏽, 🤞🏾, 🤞🏿. The meaning stays exactly the same — good luck, hope, or a playful fib — no matter which tone you choose.

The crossed fingers make a clear X shape, which signals a silent wish. It is that X, formed by the index finger over the middle finger, that makes the gesture widely understood.

For a softer tone, people often combine 🤞 with a hopeful face like 🥺 or a smiley face like 😊. That pairing reads as a cheerful “please, please, please” in messages.

Chat examples

Real messages with 🤞, and a reply that fits.

  1. results tomorrow 🤞

    🤞🤞

  2. hope it stops raining 🤞

    fingers crossed

  3. 🤞 for the interview

    thank you!

Questions people ask

What does 🤞 mean?

Hoping for luck or a good outcome; occasionally “I’m fibbing”, from the childhood gesture.

Is the crossed fingers emoji rude anywhere?

In Vietnam the gesture can be considered rude. As an emoji in English-speaking contexts it is read as luck.

What does 🤞🏾 mean from a boy?

It has the same meaning as any crossed fingers emoji: hoping for luck or a good outcome. The skin tone does not change the meaning and it is not gender specific.

Is there a fingers and toes crossed emoji?

There is no dedicated emoji for fingers and toes crossed. People use 🤞 to express extra hope, often paired with 🍀 or 🙏 for emphasis.

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.

A little more meaning.