Shows extreme shock, horror, or panic—like seeing a jump scare or hearing way too much drama. It’s the “AAAH!!” emoji, loud and theatrical.
You open your bank app and realize your card was charged twice for the same thing.
WHY IS MY MONEY GONE 😱
face screaming in fear
😱face screaming in fear
Definitions & examples
- Groups
- Subgroups
- Unicode
- U+1F631
- Variant status
- Fully-qualified
- Emoji version
- E0.6
Can also be used playfully to exaggerate shock, like reacting to plot twists or spicy gossip.
In the Philippines and parts of Southeast Asia, 😱 is often used to express a “social-mortification scream,” signaling embarrassment, secondhand cringe, or shame intense enough to feel like shouting.
Because 😱 is so over-the-top, using it in serious contexts (like real emergencies) can seem insensitive—save it for jokes or fun surprises.
Compare picks
See what they share and how they differ to choose the right one.
Differences between 😱 (face screaming in fear) and 😲 (astonished face)
Both have wide open mouths and widened eyes. 😱 conveys extreme shock, horror, and theatrical panic. It feels loud and overwhelmed, like an urgent alarm. 😲 is more stunned and speechless, quieter and more dazed than the scream. Its surprise registers as disbelief and wide-eyed amazement rather than terror. The tone of 😲 leans toward astonishment and a stunned pause, while 😱 reads as frantic and intense. The emotional register of 😲 is calmer, more stunned wonder compared with the performative panic of 😱.
Usage
You might use 😱 when describing a jump scare, a dramatic reveal, or news that feels overwhelming and chaotic—be expressive and let the tone be loud. Use 😲 for discovering something astonishing, unexpected good news, or clear disbelief—keep it more composed and awed.
Differences between 😱 (face screaming in fear) and 🙀 (weary cat)
Both show wide eyes and open mouths. 😱 conveys extreme, theatrical shock and panic, like a loud scream. 🙀 carries a similar dramatic flair but feels more cartoonish and petulant. The cat’s expression reads as exaggerated disbelief rather than raw terror. It blends playful melodrama with a hint of helplessness. Overall, 😱 hits a bigger, more human panic note while 🙀 frames chaos as comically catastrophic and slightly pet-like.
Usage
You might choose 😱 if you’re reacting to genuinely shocking or terrifying news and want to convey loud, human panic. Use 🙀 if the situation is chaotic or absurd and you want to express exaggerated, playful despair with a catlike, theatrical tone.
You may also want to check out
Related emojis that share similar meanings or usage.
😲
astonished face
- Group
- Smileys & Emotion
- Subgroup
- face-concerned
😨
fearful face
- Group
- Smileys & Emotion
- Subgroup
- face-concerned
🙀
weary cat
- Group
- Smileys & Emotion
- Subgroup
- cat-face