What does the 😭 emoji actually mean?

Literally, loud sobbing. In everyday chat it is just as often used for laughing so hard you are crying, or for being overwhelmed by something cute, so read the context before assuming someone is upset.

What is the difference between 😢 and 😭?

😢 shows one tear and a quieter sadness, hurt, or being moved. 😭 shows streaming tears and loud crying, and it is a stronger or more dramatic reaction, sometimes used jokingly.

The face holding back tears means touched, proud, or grateful, as if you are about to cry from something sweet. It is a happy emotion in most uses.

The smiling face with a tear shows bittersweet feelings, relief, or smiling through sadness. It is often used when something is good but also a little painful.

The pleading face means asking for something with puppy-dog eyes: forgiveness, a favor, or comfort. It can also mean you are feeling vulnerable or find something very cute.

Where can I find crying faces made from text?

The crying kaomoji page has faces like (T_T) and (；＿；) built from text characters, and the sad kaomoji page covers quieter sadness without tears.

Crying Emoji

Crying, sad, and pleading emoji to copy and paste, with the meaning of each so the tone lands. Tap Copy and paste it into any chat.

27 items in 4 groups — tap Copy on any one.

Crying face emoji

The core set. The difference between them is mostly volume: one tear, streaming tears, or tears you are fighting.

Emoji	Meaning	Copy
😢	Crying face: one tear, sad, hurt, or moved
😭	Loudly crying face: sobbing; also used ironically for laughing or being overwhelmed by cuteness
🥹	Face holding back tears: touched, proud, grateful
🥲	Smiling face with tear: bittersweet, relieved, or hiding sadness
😥	Sad but relieved: disappointed but coping
😰	Anxious face with sweat: worried, stressed, bracing for bad news
😓	Downcast face with sweat: tired, let down, hard-working but struggling
😿	Crying cat: sadness, with a cute twist

Sad, disappointed, and tired emoji

For when you are low but not in tears: letdowns, exhaustion, and quiet sadness.

Emoji	Meaning	Copy
😞	Disappointed face: let down, discouraged
😔	Pensive face: quiet, thoughtful sadness
😟	Worried face: concerned, uneasy
🙁	Slightly frowning face: mild unhappiness
☹️	Frowning face: sad, unhappy
😩	Weary face: exhausted, dramatically fed up
😫	Tired face: at the end of your rope
😪	Sleepy face: drained, about to doze off

Pleading and vulnerable emoji

Sad-adjacent faces that ask for something: forgiveness, a favor, or comfort.

Emoji	Meaning	Copy
🥺	Pleading face: begging, vulnerable, puppy-dog eyes
🫠	Melting face: overwhelmed, embarrassed, 'I am done'
🙏	Folded hands: please, thank you, or hoping
💔	Broken heart: heartbreak
🫂	People hugging: comfort and support

Crying emoji combos

Repeating or pairing emoji changes the tone from sad to dramatic or funny. Use sparingly.

😭😭😭
Big dramatic crying, often playful
😭🙏
Crying and pleading: please, I am begging
💔😢
Heartbreak and tears
🥹🤍
Touched and grateful
😢☔
Gloomy, rainy-day sadness
😞🌧️
Down, with a rainy mood

How to use them

Pick by intensity: 😢 for one tear, 😭 for sobbing or overwhelmed, and 🥹 if you are touched rather than sad.
Tap Copy under the emoji. The meaning column helps you avoid sending real sadness when you meant a joke.
Paste it with Ctrl+V, Cmd+V, or a long-press on a phone. Repeating 😭 raises the drama, so use it for playful messages.

About crying emoji

Crying emoji are a set of face emoji that show tears and sadness at different intensities. 😢 is a single tear, 😭 is loud sobbing, 🥹 is holding tears back out of emotion, and 🥲 is a smile with a tear. In modern chat, 😭 is also widely used to mean laughing hard or being overwhelmed by something cute.

Tears are not always sadness. The face holding back tears (🥹) means touched, proud, or grateful; the smiling face with a tear (🥲) means bittersweet or relieved; and the loudly crying face (😭) is often used ironically to react to something very funny or adorable. Reading the context around the emoji is more reliable than reading the emoji alone.

When you do want to show sadness, match the intensity. A single-tear 😢 says you are hurt or sad, a pensive 😔 or disappointed 😞 says let down without tears, and a weary 😩 or tired 😫 says exhausted and fed up. The pleading face 🥺 asks for something, such as forgiveness or a favor.

If you prefer text faces, the crying kaomoji page has hundreds of tearful faces like (T_T) and (；＿；), and the sad kaomoji page has quieter downcast ones. For hearts to pair with a comforting message, see heart emoji. Both are plain text and display the same on every device.

Frequently asked questions

What does the 😭 emoji actually mean?
Literally, loud sobbing. In everyday chat it is just as often used for laughing so hard you are crying, or for being overwhelmed by something cute, so read the context before assuming someone is upset.
What is the difference between 😢 and 😭?
😢 shows one tear and a quieter sadness, hurt, or being moved. 😭 shows streaming tears and loud crying, and it is a stronger or more dramatic reaction, sometimes used jokingly.
What does 🥹 mean?
The face holding back tears means touched, proud, or grateful, as if you are about to cry from something sweet. It is a happy emotion in most uses.
What does 🥲 mean?
The smiling face with a tear shows bittersweet feelings, relief, or smiling through sadness. It is often used when something is good but also a little painful.
What does 🥺 mean?
The pleading face means asking for something with puppy-dog eyes: forgiveness, a favor, or comfort. It can also mean you are feeling vulnerable or find something very cute.
Where can I find crying faces made from text?
The crying kaomoji page has faces like (T_T) and (；＿；) built from text characters, and the sad kaomoji page covers quieter sadness without tears.