Shows sudden fear, shock, or alarm. It’s what you’d send when something scary, intense, or wildly unexpected just happened.
Your roommate texts that a huge spider is on your bed.
DON’T. MOVE. I’m coming 😨
😨
- Groups
- Subgroups
- Unicode
- U+1F628
- Variant status
- Fully-qualified
- Emoji version
- E0.6
fearful face
Definitions & examples
Can also express nervous anticipation before something big, like an exam or a scary movie scene.
In Japanese chats, 😨 often blends with comic exaggeration, closer to an “びっくりした！” (“That scared me!”) reaction—more startled than truly terrified.
Don’t confuse 😨 with 😱; this one’s anxious or startled, not full screaming panic.
Compare picks
See what they share and how they differ to choose the right one.
Differences between 😨 (fearful face) and 😰 (anxious face with sweat)
More on anxious face with sweat
Both 😨 fearful face and 😰 anxious face with sweat convey fear and alarm, signaling negative emotional reactions to distressing events; both are used to communicate that something has gone wrong or caused a strong negative reaction. The key difference is intensity and tone: 😨 fearful face captures a sudden, sharp shock or immediate fright—the gasp, startle, or horror of an unexpected moment—whereas 😰 anxious face with sweat expresses a lingering, nervous worry under pressure, a tense “this is bad and I’m worried it'll get worse” feeling; use 😨 for abrupt, intense scares or startling news and use 😰 for tense, uneasy situations where stress, dread, or sustained anxiety is the focus. The sweat drop in 😰 softens the outright panic into anxiousness and makes it suitable for stressful scenarios or apprehensive updates, while 😨 stays appropriate for instant shocks and alarmed reactions.
Usage
You might use 😨 when something surprising and frightening just happened and you want to convey immediate shock. Use 😰 when you feel worried, stressed, or under pressure and want to express anxious concern rather than instant terror.
Differences between 😨 (fearful face) and 😦 (frowning face with open mouth)
More on frowning face with open mouth
😨 fearful face and 😦 frowning face with open mouth both convey negative surprise and emotional reaction to troubling events, but they differ in intensity and context: 😨 fearful face signals sudden, intense fear or alarm and is appropriate for moments of panic, real danger, or shock that demands immediate attention, while 😦 frowning face with open mouth expresses milder shock, disappointment, or a quietly dawning realization that something is wrong and fits situations where you want to convey concern without urgency; use 😨 for dramatic, high-stakes reactions and urgent warnings, and use 😦 for softer, contemplative responses or understated dismay that invite empathy rather than immediate action.
Usage
You might send 😨 fearful face when something frightening or wildly unexpected happens and you need to convey alarm urgently. You might send 😦 frowning face with open mouth when you realize something is off or want to express mild shock or disappointment without causing panic.
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