Throw up emoji 🤮
The throw up emoji 🤮 shows a yellow face with closed eyes and a stream of green vomit. It covers everything from literal illness to strong disgust.
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What the throw up emoji means
The throw up emoji 🤮 is a yellow face with scrunched eyes, a furrowed brow and a stream of green sick coming from its mouth. Officially named face vomiting, it paints the classic picture of being physically ill. The green stream is the key detail that separates it from other unwell faces — it shows the act is already happening, not just a feeling of nausea.
Beyond literal nausea, 🤮 is widely used to express strong disgust or revulsion. It can mean something is gross, repulsive or simply not to your taste — from a bad meal to a bad date. The emoji often loses its literal meaning entirely and becomes a quick shorthand for “that’s awful”.
The throw up emoji can also carry a humorous edge. You might send it when your friend describes a terrible fashion trend, or when a movie scene is so bad it makes you feel ill. It’s an exaggerated reaction that adds drama to any message.
How people use the vomit emoji
In real messages, the vomit emoji often replaces the words “that’s disgusting” or “I feel sick”. It shows up in group chats when someone shares something unpleasant, and in DMs when you’re describing an upset stomach. Because it’s so visually direct, it works even without any accompanying text.
- Reacting to gross photos or stories
- Describing actual nausea or food poisoning
- Strong dislike for a film, song or fashion trend
- Exaggerated response to something slightly off-putting
- Playfully rejecting a friend’s questionable meal choice
The throwing up emoji is also popular in comments on social media. When someone posts a controversial opinion or an unappealing food combination, a single 🤮 can say more than a paragraph. It’s a quick, visual way to register distaste without getting into an argument.
Compare face vomiting with similar emoji
| Emoji | Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| face vomitingU+1F92E | The most direct sign of being sick or disgusted | |
| nauseated faceU+1F922 | Green face about to vomit, one step before 🤮 | |
| face with medical maskU+1F637 | Illness, but focused on protection or contagion | |
| face with thermometerU+1F912 | Having a fever, general sickness | |
| woozy faceU+1F974 | Dizzy, drunk or out of it, not necessarily vomiting | |
| face with crossed-out eyesU+1F635 | Shocked, overwhelmed or knocked out |
Vomit emoji in memes and reactions
The throw up emoji commonly appears in reaction memes. Its exaggerated expression makes it perfect for exaggerating disgust in a humorous way, often layered over a picture or used in a comment chain. The green stream adds a cartoonish touch that softens the harshness of the message — it’s gross, but funny.
On platforms like TikTok and Instagram, you’ll see 🤮 in captions and comments when someone wants to show they’re completely put off. It’s the visual equivalent of a dramatic gag. Some creators even use it as part of a repeated joke, pairing it with an image that is only mildly unpleasant for comedic effect.
The puking emoji also appears in video thumbnails and reaction compilations, where it signals that the content is cringe-worthy or hard to watch. It has become a common shorthand for “I can’t look at this” in many online communities.
How to copy the throw up emoji
The emoji itself is a standard Unicode character, so it will work in texts, emails and social media posts.
If you’re on a desktop, press Windows key + . (period) or Control + Command + Space on a Mac to open the emoji picker and type “vomit” to find 🤮. On mobile, use the search bar in your emoji keyboard and search for “vomit”.
If you want an animated version, most messaging apps let you send a sticker or GIF with a similar expression. The throw up emoji’s appearance varies slightly across platforms, but the core design remains consistent.
Throw up emoji and similar sick faces
The face vomiting emoji belongs to the “face-unwell” subgroup in Unicode, alongside several other faces that show different stages of illness or discomfort. While 🤮 is the most explicit, the others have their own nuances. Understanding the differences helps you pick the right one for the situation.
For example, the nauseated face 🤢 shows a green face with a hand over its mouth, often used when someone is about to vomit but hasn’t yet. The face with thermometer 🤒 indicates a fever, and the sneezing face 🤧 suggests a cold. These are all more specific than the general sick emoji, so they can add precision to your message.
Questions people ask
What does the throw up emoji 🤮 mean?
It means physical sickness or strong disgust. The green stream signals that someone feels like throwing up, either literally or as a reaction to something unpleasant.
When should I use the vomit emoji?
Use it when you feel nauseous, when something grosses you out, or when you want to exaggerate your dislike of something in a playful way.
Is there a difference between 🤮 and 🤢?
Yes. 🤢 (nauseated face) shows someone turning green and holding their mouth, often meaning they feel sick but haven’t thrown up yet. 🤮 shows the act of vomiting itself, so it’s more extreme.
Is the puking emoji the same as the throw up emoji?
Yes — both names refer to the same face 🤮. It carries the meaning of physical sickness or strong revulsion.
What does the barfing emoji mean?
It is an informal name for the same face 🤮. It conveys nausea, being sick, or feeling disgusted by something.
What is a vomit meme?
A vomit meme is a humorous image, video or caption that shows vomiting or uses the 🤮 emoji to express exaggerated disgust in response to something unpleasant.
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.
