Face with peeking eye emoji 🫣
🫣 is the face with peeking eye: both hands over the face, one eye looking through the fingers. It is the emoji for “I can’t look but I’m looking” — cringe…
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What the face with peeking eye 🫣 emoji means
🫣 is the face with peeking eye: both hands over the face, one eye looking through the fingers. It is the emoji for “I can’t look but I’m looking” — cringe, embarrassment, second-hand shame, a scary scene, or nosily watching something you shouldn’t. Added in Emoji 14.0 (2021), it took over from 🙈 see-no-evil monkey as the hiding emoji because it is a human face and the peeking eye makes the joke. From a guy or a girl it is usually playful: “that was awkward and I enjoyed it”.
Unicode name: face with peeking eye · U+1FAE3 · Emoji 14.0 (2021) · group: Smileys & Emotion.
How people use it
- Cringe: embarrassing memories, awkward moments
- Peeking: at spoilers, at someone’s messages, at drama
- Scared: horror films, watching through fingers
- Shy flirting: “you saw that? 🫣”
Compare the options
| Emoji | Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| face with peeking eyeU+1FAE3 | Hiding but peeking; cringe | |
| see-no-evil monkeyU+1F648 | Can’t look; embarrassed | |
| face with open eyes and hand over mouthU+1FAE2 | Gasp — shocked | |
| face with hand over mouthU+1F92D | Giggling, oops | |
| flushed faceU+1F633 | Embarrassed, flustered |
The peeking face for hiding and watching
🫣 is used when someone wants to hide but still watch. The pose is both hands over the face, with one eye left open between the fingers. It works for awkward moments, spoilers, second-hand embarrassment, and the times you pretend not to look at drama.
The hiding is playful rather than serious — the open eye changes it from shame into “I know I shouldn’t, but I am looking.” That is why it often appears in replies to gossip, bad plot twists, or a friend’s embarrassing story.
Using 🫣 for shock or watching through your fingers
You can use 🫣 to show shock while still looking. Pair it with a gasp or a sudden sound in a caption to signal “I am covering my eyes but I need to see this.” It works well in video comments and captions.
Sticker packs and rendered versions often exaggerate the single open eye, which suits the emoji’s playful tension between hiding and peeking.
Questions people ask
What does 🫣 mean?
Hiding your face but peeking anyway: embarrassment, cringe, or nervous curiosity. It is the human version of the see-no-evil monkey.
What does 🫣 mean from a girl?
Usually playful embarrassment — she is a little flustered about what was said or seen, in a flirty or amused way rather than a hurt one.
What is the difference between 🫣 and 🙈?
Both hide the eyes; 🫣 peeks through and is a face, 🙈 is the monkey with eyes fully covered. 🫣 is newer (2021) and now more common.
What is the cover eyes emoji?
🫣 is the face with peeking eye emoji: both hands over the face, with one eye peeking through. It’s often used when you can’t watch but can’t look away.
What does 🫣 mean on TikTok?
On TikTok, 🫣 is used for shock or second-hand embarrassment, often as a reaction to cringe videos, unexpected plot twists, or anything you want to hide from but still watch.
Which emoji shows hands covering the face?
🫣 shows both hands covering the face with one eye peeking through. It’s used to mean “I’m hiding” or “I can’t look.”
What does the face with peeking eye mean?
The face with peeking eye 🫣 shows hands covering the eyes with one eye peeking through the fingers. It works well for messages like “I can’t look but I’m still watching” when something is embarrassing, cringeworthy, or scary.
When should I use 🫣 in a text?
Use 🫣 when you want to show second-hand embarrassment, shy curiosity, or the feeling of peeking at something you shouldn’t. For example, a friend might send “I watched the whole awkward video 🫣” or “Me reading the group chat after my outburst 🫣”.
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.
