Represents being sick, protecting yourself from germs, or sometimes just living that “don’t want to deal with people today” mood. Since COVID, it’s also used to mean caution, care, or “I’m staying safe.”
You see your friend coughing all over the office and text your group chat.
bro just sneezed into the air 😷 I’m working from home tomorrow
😷 can also mean “I’m avoiding drama or negativity” — like putting on a “mask” to stay away from bad vibes. It’s sometimes used humorously for emotional self-protection.
In Japan, 😷 feels completely normal — masks are a routine part of daily life. It usually just means “I have a cold” or “I’m being considerate,” not a symbol of isolation or anxiety.
In Western contexts, 😷 can look overly dramatic or remind people of pandemic times; if you just mean “I’m tired” or “don’t wanna go out,” try 😪 or 😴 instead.
See what they share and how they differ to choose the right one.
More on sneezing face
Both 😷 and 🤧 convey illness and discomfort and can be used to signal health-related situations or a desire to avoid contact, but they differ in nuance and emotional tone: 😷 feels more guarded and preventative, suitable for expressing caution, public-health awareness, or a low-energy “don’t want to interact” mood, whereas 🤧 is more immediate and animate, signaling active symptoms like sneezing, allergies, crying, or playful dramatic sniffles; use 😷 to communicate responsibility, protection, or persistent malaise and use 🤧 to convey sudden sickness, watery eyes, sniffles, or theatrical emotion, with context deciding whether it’s literal illness, allergy, or mock-sadness.
You should use 😷 when describing staying safe, protecting others, or a low-energy ‘I’m not up for socializing’ state. You should use 🤧 when indicating you’ve got a cold, seasonal allergies, are currently sneezing, or are playfully pretending to cry.
Related emojis that share similar meanings or usage.
