Used to signal “Shh!” — asking for quiet, keeping a secret, or playfully telling someone to lower their voice. It can mean “don’t tell anyone” or “I’m saying this quietly.”
You’re texting your coworker during a boring meeting and joking about the presenter.
Don’t laugh too loud 🤫 they’ll totally hear us.
You just told your friend a juicy secret about your crush.
You didn’t hear it from me 🤫 okay?
Can also be used playfully, like saying “I know something you don’t,” or when sharing inside jokes that others shouldn’t overhear.
Using 🤫 after serious or confidential info can seem careless or even suspicious; keep it for light secrets, not real ones.
See what they share and how they differ to choose the right one.
More on zipper-mouth face
Both 🤫 shushing face and 🤐 zipper-mouth face convey silence, secrecy, and a playful restraint in conversation, often used to signal that something should be kept quiet or that the speaker is intentionally lowering their voice. The key difference is tonal: 🤫 feels like a gentle, immediate request for quiet or a conspiratorial prompt to keep a secret—soft, intimate, and suited to hushes, library-like moments, or urging someone to speak more quietly—whereas 🤐 carries a firmer, slightly mischievous implication of voluntarily withholding information or opting out of drama, as if one is sealing their lips and hinting that there’s more they could say but won’t. Use 🤫 to nudge volume down or share a confidential aside; use 🤐 to signal you’re deliberately staying silent, tiptoeing around gossip, or teasing that you know something but choose not to reveal it.
Use 🤫 when you want to gently ask someone to be quiet or imply you’re sharing something privately. Use 🤐 when you prefer to indicate you’ll keep a secret, avoid drama, or deliberately refrain from commenting.
More on face with open eyes and hand over mouth
Both 🤫 shushing face and 🫢 face with open eyes and hand over mouth are small facial emojis that convey subdued, social-moment reactions and are often used in conversational contexts to convey restraint or a reaction without words. They differ in tone and intent: 🤫 is quiet, secretive, and controlling—used to ask for silence, share a secret quietly, or playfully hush someone—whereas 🫢 reads as surprised, shocked, or mildly embarrassed, signaling that the sender is taken aback, has heard unexpected gossip, or realizes they’ve said something awkward; 🫢’s hand-over-mouth gesture adds a spontaneous, reactive feel suited to moments of caught-off-guard astonishment rather than deliberate hush. Use 🤫 when you want to lower the volume, guard a secret, or gently quiet a chat; choose 🫢 when you want to express surprise, disbelief, or a flustered reaction to sudden news or an awkward slip.
You might send 🤫 when you want someone to quiet down, hint at a secret, or indicate you’re sharing something in low tones. Use 🫢 when you’re surprised, slightly embarrassed, or reacting to shocking or gossipy news and want to convey being taken off guard.
Related emojis that share similar meanings or usage.
