Crying Emoji 😭: Meaning, Usage, and More
A guide to crying emojis, including meanings, copy-paste tools, and cultural usage as of 2025.
Quick Crying Emoji Copy and Paste Tool
Kaomoji Crying Emojis
Official Crying Emoji Meanings
Every emoji has an official name and meaning assigned by the Unicode Consortium. Here are the foundational definitions for the most common crying-related emojis.
😭 Loudly Crying Face
This intense emoji features a wailing mouth and waterfalls of tears pouring from closed eyes. While officially representing deep grief, it's most often used today to show overwhelming positive emotions, like laughing until you cry, extreme pride, or just finding something incredibly cute. It joined the Unicode standard in 2010.
😢 Crying Face
A softer expression of sadness, featuring a gentle frown and a single, perfectly timed tear. Unlike its louder counterpart (😭), this emoji represents genuine, moderate disappointment, hurt feelings, or empathetic sorrow, rather than overwhelming emotion.
🥺 Pleading Face
Known for its massive, irresistible 'puppy dog' eyes. It's the ultimate symbol for begging for a favor ('please? 🥺'), feeling shy, or reacting to something heartbreakingly adorable. It often accompanies crying emojis to add a layer of vulnerability.
🥹 Face Holding Back Tears
This face is trying its best not to cry. It perfectly captures that feeling of being choked up with emotion, whether it's from pride, gratitude, or just witnessing a beautiful moment. It's a happy, touched kind of cry.
Beyond Sadness: The Evolution of 😭 in 2025
While its official meaning is grief, the 😭 Loudly Crying Face emoji has evolved into one of the most versatile and misunderstood emojis online. By 2025, its usage is dominated by ironic exaggeration and the amplification of peak emotions, both positive and negative.
Key Modern Meanings:
- Intense Laughter: Its most common modern use is to signify "laughing so hard I'm crying." It conveys an overwhelming sense of amusement that can't be contained.
- Overwhelming Joy & Affection: It's used to express extreme happiness, pride, or feeling touched. Seeing something incredibly cute or heartwarming often elicits a 😭 to show you're emotionally overwhelmed in a positive way.
- Dramatic Frustration & Irony: In memes and on platforms like TikTok, it serves as a tool for theatrical despair over minor inconveniences. A phrase like "My pizza arrived cold 😭" uses the emoji for humorous drama, not genuine sorrow.
This shift is largely generational. While some users may still interpret it literally, Gen Z and frequent social media users understand its role as an emotional amplifier, turning any strong feeling into a dramatic performance.
Crying Emoji Platform Variations
The appearance of the 😭 Loudly Crying Face emoji varies across platforms and devices. Below is a comparison of its design on major systems like Apple, Google, Facebook, and more.
Apple Crying Emoji
Apple iOS 18.4
Facebook Crying Emoji
Facebook 15.0
Google Crying Emoji (Noto)
Google Noto Color 17.0
Animated Google Emoji
Animated Google Noto Color 16.0
Google Crying Emoji (Font)
Google Noto Emoji Font 17.0
JoyPixels Crying Emoji
JoyPixels 9.0
LG Crying Emoji
LG Velvet
Messenger Crying Emoji
Messenger 1.0
Microsoft 3D Crying Emoji
Microsoft 3D Fluent 16.0
Mozilla Crying Emoji
Mozilla Firefox OS 2.5
Samsung Crying Emoji
Samsung One UI 7.0
Animated Telegram Emoji
Animated Telegram 2023.11
Twitter Crying Emoji
Twitter Twemoji 15.0.3
WhatsApp Crying Emoji
WhatsApp 2.25.9.78
FAQ
😭 vs. 😢: What's the Real Difference?
The 😭 Loudly Crying Face and 😢 Crying Face emojis both express sadness but differ in intensity and modern usage. The table below compares their key features:
| Feature | 😭 Loudly Crying Face | 😢 Crying Face |
|---|---|---|
| Visuals | Rivers of tears, open wailing mouth | A single tear, slight frown |
| Emotional Intensity | High. Overwhelming, uncontrollable, extreme. | Moderate. Disappointed, hurt, gentle sadness. |
| Primary Meaning | Inconsolable grief, sobbing. | Moderate sadness or disappointment. |
| Modern Usage | Often not sad. Used for laughing uncontrollably, overwhelming joy, or extreme frustration. | Almost always means sadness. Its meaning is literal and sincere. |
| Vibe | Dramatic, Hyperbolic | Sincere, Subdued |
Use 😭 when the emotion is extreme, exaggerated, or out of control. Use it for sobbing, laughing hysterically, being overjoyed, or feeling comically defeated.
Use 😢 when you want to express sincere, moderate sadness or disappointment. Use it when you feel genuinely bummed out or want to show someone sympathy.
What does 😭 mean in memes?
In memes, the 😭 (Loudly Crying Face) emoji is almost never about genuine sadness.
Instead, it’s a powerful tool for dramatic, ironic, and relatable exaggeration. It's used to amplify a reaction to a situation, turning a simple feeling into a theatrical performance.
How has usage of the 😭 emoji changed by 2025?
Its meaning has flipped. Instead of just sadness, it's now primarily used for exaggeration and irony.
Think of it as an "emotional amplifier": it's used for laughing uncontrollably, overwhelming joy, or joking about minor problems. For sincere sadness, people now typically use the 😢 emoji.