Ghost emoji
👻 is Halloween, “ghosted”, Snapchat’s logo and general silliness. Copy it here.
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What the ghost emoji means
👻 is a cartoon ghost with its tongue out, which tells you its tone: silly, not scary. It means Halloween, “boo”, playful spookiness and, increasingly, being ghosted — when someone stops replying. It is also Snapchat’s logo, so 👻 in a bio often means “find me on Snapchat”. For horror rather than fun, 💀 and 🕷️ do more work.
Unicode name: ghost · U+1F47B · Emoji 0.6 (original set) · group: Smileys & Emotion.
How people use it
- Halloween: 👻🎃🕸️
- Ghosted: jokes about unanswered messages
- Snapchat: a bio pointer
- Playful spookiness: haunted-house posts, “boo”
- Invisible: “been a ghost lately, sorry”
Compare the options
| Emoji | Name | Use it for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| ghostU+1F47B | Ghost; Halloween, ghosted, Snapchat | Silly rather than scary | |
| skullU+1F480 | Skull; “I’m dead” | See the skull emoji guide | |
| dotted line faceU+1FAE5 | Dotted-line face; invisible, withdrawn | Newer | |
| jack-o-lanternU+1F383 | See the pumpkin emoji guide |
Is there a Ghostface emoji?
There is no official Ghostface emoji — the white masked figure from horror films isn’t in the Unicode set. Theatrical masks 🎭 are sometimes used for a masked character, and a kitchen knife 🔪 can suggest the horror theme. Together with 👻, these symbols create a Ghostface-like combination without a dedicated emoji.
For Halloween costume posts, the ghost emoji often appears with 🎃 or on its own. It keeps the tone light and cartoonish, which suits a playful costume or party caption better than a genuinely scary image.
Emo ghost: the scene kid version of 👻
The ghost emoji can take a darker tone when paired with black hearts 🖤, broken hearts 💔, or the skull 💀. Those combinations suggest feeling invisible, heartbroken, or emotionally absent. The emoji works for this because it already represents being unseen.
Adding dark symbols creates a soft, slightly dramatic statement about disappearing from a conversation or social circle. Some people use these combinations in messages that mix cute and dark aesthetics, keeping the tone playful even when the feeling is heavy.
Chat examples
Real messages with 👻, and a reply that fits.
he ghosted me 👻
his loss
👻 boo
not scary
Halloween party? 👻🎃
in
Questions people ask
What does 👻 mean in a text?
Playful spookiness, Halloween, or a joke about ghosting. From someone you are dating it may be a wry reference to disappearing.
Why is 👻 Snapchat?
Snapchat’s logo is a white ghost, so people use the emoji to point to their Snapchat.
What does the ghost emoji mean on Instagram?
On Instagram, the ghost emoji can appear in Halloween posts, spooky photo edits, or captions about being “ghosted.” It can also be used in a bio for a mysterious or playful tone.
What is the snap ghost emoji?
The snap ghost is the white ghost in Snapchat’s logo. People sometimes use the 👻 emoji as shorthand for “add me on Snap” or to direct someone to their Snapchat profile, alongside the yellow square 🟡 or the word “snap.”
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.
