Shows total shock, amazement, or mind-blown surprise. It’s perfect for “I can’t believe this!” moments — whether something is unbelievably cool, confusing, or ridiculous.
You just learned your quiet coworker once toured with a famous rock band.
wait WHAT 🤯 that’s insane
🤯 can express both positive and negative shock — “That’s genius!” or “That’s unbelievable (in a bad way).” It’s all about intensity, not mood.
In Japanese chats, 🤯 is less common and might be read as “頭がパンクした” (“my brain exploded”) — used for mental overload or information shock, not amazement.
Overusing 🤯 can make your messages sound overly dramatic; in calmer chats, try 😳 or 😮 for a softer surprise.
See what they share and how they differ to choose the right one.
More on astonished face
Both 🤯 and 😲 convey strong surprise and astonishment, often used to react to unexpected, impressive, or shocking news; both can punctuate messages about unbelievable events, dramatic reveals, or jaw-dropping facts. The key differences are tone and intensity: 🤯 carries a more visceral, mind-blown connotation—use it for moments that feel overwhelming, baffling, or conceptually explosive (something so wild it stretches your thinking), whereas 😲 reads as wide-eyed, open-mouthed astonishment—perfect for immediate, emphatic “WOW” reactions to things that surpass expectations but register as more stunned awe than cognitive overload; 😲 is friendlier and slightly less chaotic, fitting scenarios like surprising achievements, delightful reveals, or unexpected good news where you want to express strong disbelief without implying mental meltdown.
You might use 🤯 to respond to something truly mind-bending, confusing, or outrageously impressive in informal chats. Use 😲 to express big, wide-eyed surprise at something astonishing or unexpectedly great when you want a clear “wow” reaction without the sense of being overwhelmed.
Related emojis that share similar meanings or usage.
