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.
Both convey quiet secrecy. 🤫 signals a request for silence, a playful or serious shushing gesture. 🤐 leans more toward sealed secrecy, a literal zip across the lips suggesting restraint. The tone of 🤐 feels more final and mischievous at once, hinting that something is being intentionally withheld. Where 🤫 invites lowered volume or a whispered aside, 🤐 implies deliberate silence and a boundary around information. The zipper image adds a comic firmness that separates it from the softer hush of 🤫.
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.
Both are faces with a finger or hand near the mouth. 🤫 conveys secrecy and quiet, a hushed tone and the act of telling someone to be silent. 🫢 leans into surprise and shock, with eyes wide and a hand over the mouth, suggesting an audible gasp or sudden embarrassment. The mood of 🫢 is more reactive and exposed, while 🤫 is deliberate and controlled. 🫢 feels startled and emotionally open, rather than the conspiratorial restraint of 🤫, making its expression read as astonishment rather than secrecy.
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.
