Used when you feel awkward, overwhelmed, or embarrassed but are trying to laugh it off. It’s like saying “I’m dying inside but smiling anyway.” Perfect for cringe moments, secondhand embarrassment, or when the heat (literal or emotional) is just too much.
Your crush just found the old, cringey tweets you wrote in high school.
Oh nooo you weren’t supposed to see those 🫠
You just sent an email with the wrong attachment to your whole team.
Sent the wrong file to everyone 🫠 love that for me.
🫠 often reads as self-deprecating humor, not genuine distress. Still, avoid using it when someone shares serious news—it can look dismissive or tone-deaf.
The 🫠 emoji isn’t as commonly used in Japanese chats yet, but when it appears, it’s usually tied to physical heat or fatigue (“so hot I’m melting”) rather than social awkwardness. The English sense of ironic embarrassment hasn’t fully carried over.
See what they share and how they differ to choose the right one.
More on slightly smiling face
Both 🫠 melting face and 🙂 slightly smiling face convey an emotional response that softens a message and signals a non-hostile tone, but they differ in intensity and intention: 🫠 melting face expresses overwhelmed, embarrassed, or cringey feelings with a self-deprecating, humorous edge and suits moments of secondhand embarrassment, social awkwardness, or when you’re figuratively “melting” under pressure; 🙂 slightly smiling face offers a gentle, polite smile that signals calm reassurance, friendliness, or mild positivity and can come across as neutral or perfunctory depending on context. Use 🫠 for candid, vulnerable reactions where you want to acknowledge discomfort while keeping the mood light, and use 🙂 for polite acknowledgments, softening feedback, or maintaining a composed, pleasant tone without dramatizing your emotions.
For an awkward, overwhelmed, or embarrassingly funny reaction, use 🫠 to show you’re cringing but trying to laugh it off. For polite acknowledgement, gentle reassurance, or a mild positive tone, use 🙂 to stay calm and courteous.
Related emojis that share similar meanings or usage.
