Goblin emoji 👺 (Japanese goblin, tengu)
👺 is the goblin: a red mask with an angry scowl, bushy eyebrows and a very long nose. It is a tengu, the bird-like mountain spirit of Japanese folklore, and the mask…
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What the goblin 👺 (japanese goblin, tengu) emoji means
👺 is the goblin: a red mask with an angry scowl, bushy eyebrows and a very long nose. It is a tengu, the bird-like mountain spirit of Japanese folklore, and the mask used in festivals and theatre. In messages it means angry, mischievous, “goblin mode” — the 2022 word of the year for unapologetically feral behaviour gave it a new life — and it is used for trolls, villains and anyone being difficult. Its sibling 👹 ogre has horns and fangs; 👺 has the nose. Neither is the green fantasy goblin of games — for that people use 🧌 troll.
Unicode name: goblin · U+1F47A · Emoji 0.6 (original set) · group: Smileys & Emotion.
How people use it
- Goblin mode: lazy, feral, unbothered
- Angry: a scowl with theatrical flair
- Trolling: stirring things up online
- Japanese culture: tengu, festivals, anime
Compare the options
| Emoji | Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| goblinU+1F47A | Red tengu mask: long nose | |
| ogreU+1F479 | Red oni mask: horns, fangs | |
| smiling face with hornsU+1F608 | Cheeky devil | |
| trollU+1F9CC | Fantasy troll (2021) | |
| performing artsU+1F3AD | Theatre masks |
Questions people ask
What does 👺 mean?
A Japanese goblin (tengu) mask: angry, mischievous or “goblin mode”. It is playful menace rather than real threat.
What does 👺 mean from a girl?
Most often goblin-mode humour — she is being lazy or unhinged on purpose — or mock anger.
Is 👺 a goblin or a tengu?
Unicode names it goblin, but the design is a tengu mask from Japanese folklore, which is why it has the long nose.
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.
