Crying emojis
10 emoji ยท tap one to copy it
The crying emoji you are looking for is almost always ๐ญ or ๐ข, and they are used very differently. ๐ญ (loudly crying face) is loud and often not sad at all: people use it for laughing, for something adorable, or for mock despair. ๐ข (crying face) is the quiet, sincere one. If you mean happy tears, ๐ฅน and ๐ฅฒ say it better than either.
๐ญ is one of the most used emoji of all: in the Unicode Consortiumโs 2021 study of emoji use it ranked fifth, just behind ๐.
Crying emoji meanings at a glance
- Real sadness or grief: ๐ข, ๐ฟ, or ๐ญ when it is overwhelming.
- Laughing so hard you cry: ๐ญ (often with ๐), ๐ or ๐คฃ.
- Touched or proud: ๐ฅน or ๐ฅฒ.
- โItโs fineโ (it isnโt): ๐ฅฒ.
- Please?: ๐ฅบ, which is pleading rather than crying.
Searches for crying emoji โwith hands upโ or โhand over mouthโ usually mean meme images. The closest real emoji are ๐ญ for the first and ๐ซข for the second.
Which one to use
- Loudly crying faceSobbing: real heartbreak, or laughing so hard you canโt breathe. The most common crying emoji by far.
- Crying faceOne tear: quiet, sincere sadness. Rarely used as a joke.
- Smiling face with tearSmiling with a tear: bittersweet, or โitโs fineโ when it isnโt quite.
- Face holding back tearsHolding back tears: touched, proud or grateful.
- Pleading facePleading eyes: โplease?โ, or feeling soft and emotional. Not quite crying.
- Sleepy faceSleepy face: the drop is a snot bubble from anime, not a tear.
- Sad but relieved faceSad but relieved: โphew, that was closeโ or mild disappointment.
- Face with tears of joyTears of joy: laughter, not sadness.
Popular combinations
These are several emoji in a row, not one emoji; they copy as a string.
Questions
What is the crying emoji?
There are two main crying emoji. ๐ญ Loudly crying face shows streams of tears and is used for sobbing, for overwhelming laughter or for something too cute to handle. ๐ข Crying face shows a single tear and is used for quieter, sincere sadness.
What does ๐ญ mean?
๐ญ can mean real heartbreak, but in everyday chat it is just as often used for laughing hard, being overwhelmed by something sweet, or mock despair over something small. Context and the people you are talking to decide which.
What is the difference between ๐ญ and ๐ข?
๐ข is a single tear: quiet, sincere and rarely a joke. ๐ญ is loud sobbing and is often used playfully. For sympathy, ๐ข usually reads better than ๐ญ.
Which emoji means happy tears?
๐ฅน (face holding back tears) and ๐ฅฒ (smiling face with tear) are the usual choices for being touched, proud or grateful. ๐ also has tears, but it means laughter.
How do I type the crying emoji on my phone?
On iPhone and on Android with Gboard, open the emoji keyboard and search for โcryโ. Or tap any crying emoji on this page to copy it, then paste it into your message.
Drafted with AI assistance and reviewed by the site owner.