Radioactive ☢️ and biohazard ☣️ emoji
☢️ radioactive is the trefoil — three blades around a central dot — that marks ionising radiation; ☣️ biohazard is the three interlocking hooked circles for biological…
Published · Updated
What the radioactive ☢️ and biohazard ☣️ emoji means
☢️ radioactive is the trefoil — three blades around a central dot — that marks ionising radiation; ☣️ biohazard is the three interlocking hooked circles for biological hazards. Both are real safety signs from the 1940s and 60s, both became emoji in 2015, and in chat both mean toxic, dangerous, stay away: a toxic ex, a toxic workplace, a “nuclear” argument, a contagious flatmate. ☢️ is also the nuke emoji in politics and gaming posts; ☣️ turns up in pandemic and germ contexts. For the skull-and-crossbones kind of poison use ☠️; for the yellow caution triangle, ⚠️ warning.
Unicode name: radioactive · U+2622 U+FE0F · Emoji 1.0 (2015) · group: Symbols.
How people use it
- Toxic: people, places, situations
- Nuclear (☢️): politics, energy, “going nuclear”
- Germs (☣️): illness, quarantine, lab work
- Danger aesthetic: gaming, metal, hazmat looks
Compare the options
| Emoji | Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| radioactiveU+2622 U+FE0F | Radiation, nuclear, toxic | |
| biohazardU+2623 U+FE0F | Biological hazard, contagious | |
| warningU+26A0 U+FE0F | General caution | |
| skull and crossbonesU+2620 U+FE0F | Poison, death | |
| test tubeU+1F9EA | Chemicals, lab |
Questions people ask
What does ☢️ mean?
Radioactive — nuclear radiation. Figuratively: toxic, explosive, dangerous.
What does ☣️ mean?
Biohazard — infectious or biological danger. Figuratively: toxic people or situations, contagious illness.
Is there a nuke emoji?
No bomb-cloud emoji exists; ☢️ radioactive and 💣 bomb are used, sometimes with 💥.
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.
