Gen Z Emoji Slang: What 💀 and 😭 Actually Mean in 2025

The Great Emoji Divide

If you are over 30 and have ever received a text from a younger person that left you completely confused, you are not alone. The way Gen Z uses emojis is fundamentally different from how Millennials and older generations use them - and the gap is only growing.

I first noticed this when a 20-year-old friend responded to my joke with 💀💀💀. My immediate reaction was concern. Was something wrong? Was this a threat? No. They were telling me the joke was hilarious. They were "dead" from laughing. My panic was, apparently, the funniest part.

This experience sent me down a rabbit hole of research into generational emoji use, and what I found was fascinating. It is not just a few emojis that have shifted meaning - it is an entirely different communication philosophy. Let me break it down.

The Core Gen Z Emoji Vocabulary

💀 Skull - "I am Dead" (From Laughing)

This is perhaps the most iconic Gen Z emoji reinterpretation. The 💀 skull officially represents death in Unicode, but for Gen Z, it means something made them laugh so hard they figuratively died. The shift traces back to Twitter and TikTok around 2019-2020, building on the existing slang "I'm dead" that had been circulating since at least 2015.

Usage examples:

• "She really said that to the teacher 💀"
• "💀💀💀 I cannot breathe"
• "That video has me 💀"

The intensity scales with repetition. One 💀 means "that is funny." Three 💀💀💀 means "I am absolutely losing it." For a quick reference, see our Gen Z Emoji Starter Pack. The skull has largely replaced 😂 (Face with Tears of Joy) for many young users, which leads to our next entry...

😭 Loudly Crying Face - Not Actually Sad

This one confuses older generations the most. As Emojipedia's trend data shows, the 😭 loudly crying face is used by Gen Z to express overwhelming emotion of almost any kind — but most commonly laughter, disbelief, or being moved. On TikTok, it has already overtaken 😂 as the default "this is funny" reaction.

• "The way he fell off the chair 😭" (hilarious)
• "She got me the best gift 😭" (touched/overwhelmed)
• "We have an exam tomorrow 😭" (dramatic despair, but not serious sadness)
• "That dog is so cute 😭" (overwhelmed by cuteness)

The key distinction: Gen Z uses 😭 for performative, exaggerated emotion. Genuine sadness is more often expressed through words or 🥺, not 😭.

😂 Face with Tears of Joy - The "Old People" Emoji

Here is the twist that shocked many Millennials: 😂, once the most popular emoji in the world (literally named "Word of the Year" by Oxford Dictionaries in 2015), is now considered "old" by Gen Z. Using it unironically signals that you are probably over 30.

This does not mean 😂 is wrong or bad. It is still widely used globally. But in Gen Z circles, it feels like the emoji equivalent of saying "that is totally rad." It dates you.

I find this particularly interesting from a linguistic perspective. A symbol went from universally beloved to generationally marked in less than a decade. That is extremely fast semantic shift.

🙂 Slightly Smiling Face - Passive Aggression

For older users, 🙂 means "I am being pleasant." For Gen Z, it is one of the most passive-aggressive emojis in existence. This is the emoji equivalent of saying "fine" through clenched teeth. The slight smile reads as forced, fake, or suppressing anger.

• "Sure, I will do your share of the project too 🙂" (furious)
• "Thanks for telling me last minute 🙂" (deeply annoyed)
• "Oh you forgot? 🙂" (seething)

The dissonance between the emoji's mild appearance and its sarcastic intent is the whole point. It is weaponized politeness.

👍 Thumbs Up - Dismissive or Passive-Aggressive

This one generates the most debate. A viral 2022 Reddit thread on r/antiwork had thousands of comments from younger workers who found 👍 responses from managers genuinely unsettling. For most older adults, 👍 is a positive acknowledgment - "sounds good," "got it," "approved." For many (not all) Gen Z users, 👍 can read as dismissive, cold, or passive-aggressive.

The reasoning: a thumbs up requires minimal effort. In a generation that values personalized, expressive communication, the bare-minimum response feels like the person does not care enough to type actual words or use a more specific emoji.

I want to be clear: this is not universal. Plenty of young people use 👍 neutrally. But the passive-aggressive interpretation is common enough that it is worth knowing about, especially in cross-generational communication.

✨ Sparkles - Emphasis and Sarcasm

✨ Sparkles serve as all-purpose emphasis markers for Gen Z. They can be sincere or deeply sarcastic:

• "Just got promoted ✨" (genuine excitement)
• "Woke up at 5 AM for this meeting ✨ blessed ✨" (sarcastic)
• "The ✨ audacity ✨" (highlighting absurdity)

Placed around a word, sparkles function like sarcastic air quotes. "She has ✨ experience ✨" means her experience is questionable at best.

💅 Nail Polish - Unbothered Confidence

The 💅 nail polish emoji communicates "I do not care what anyone thinks" energy. It suggests confidence, sass, and deliberate nonchalance.

• "Failed the exam but it is fine 💅" (unbothered)
• "Blocked him 💅" (confident decision)
• "They can think whatever they want 💅" (indifferent to criticism)

It is the emoji equivalent of inspecting your nails while someone talks to you - the ultimate display of not being fazed.

🤡 Clown - Self-Deprecation or Calling Out Foolishness

The 🤡 clown emoji means "I am a fool" when applied to yourself, or "you are a fool" when applied to others.

• "Trusted him again 🤡" (I was stupid to do that)
• "Whole circus 🤡🤡🤡" (everyone involved was being foolish)
• "Me believing I would sleep early tonight 🤡" (self-aware failure)

Gen Z uses self-deprecating humor extensively, and the clown emoji is a perfect vehicle for it. It acknowledges mistakes with humor rather than genuine shame.

🫠 Melting Face - Everything is Fine (It is Not)

Added in Unicode 14.0, the 🫠 melting face quickly became a Gen Z favorite. It was one of the fastest-adopted new emoji in recent memory — within months of its release, it was already appearing in millions of tweets. It expresses that you are overwhelmed, embarrassed, or slowly falling apart while maintaining a smile.

• "Five deadlines this week 🫠" (barely coping)
• "He saw my embarrassing old photos 🫠" (mortified)
• "Everything is completely fine 🫠" (nothing is fine)

The melting face captures a very specific modern mood: the feeling of things falling apart while you try to hold it together. It resonates with a generation that processes anxiety through humor.

👁️👄👁️ - Stunned Silence

This emoji combination (eye, mouth, eye) creates a face expressing shocked, wide-eyed silence. It means "I have witnessed something and have no words."

• "She really wore that to school 👁️👄👁️"
• "He texted back after three months 👁️👄👁️"
• "The price of this sandwich 👁️👄👁️"

It is not an official single emoji but a creative combination that Gen Z has turned into a recognizable expression.

The Philosophy Behind Gen Z Emoji Use

Understanding the individual emojis is useful, but understanding WHY Gen Z uses them differently is more valuable.

Irony as Default Mode

Gen Z communication defaults to ironic, layered expression. Sincerity exists but is often wrapped in humor or exaggeration. Saying "that is funny" is too straightforward. Saying "I am literally deceased 💀" expresses the same sentiment but with performative drama that adds personality.

This ironic layer means most Gen Z emojis have both a literal meaning that they deliberately subvert and an actual meaning determined by context. The gap between literal and actual meaning IS the communication.

Emotional Amplification

Where older generations might text "haha that is funny," Gen Z communicates in extremes: 💀😭🤣 (all meaning "very funny"). Everything is either devastating, iconic, or literally unbelievable. This amplification is not about dishonesty - it is about matching the intensity of in-person emotional expression that text usually flattens.

Anti-Cringe Sensitivity

Gen Z has an acute awareness of what feels "cringe" - forced, try-hard, or out of touch. Using emojis in their "official" way can feel cringe because it lacks the ironic self-awareness that Gen Z values. The skull meaning "funny" works precisely because it should not mean funny. The subversion itself is the appeal.

This is also why new emoji slang emerges constantly. Once an expression becomes mainstream or is adopted by brands and older users, it starts feeling cringe, and Gen Z moves on to something new.

Emojis That Have Not Changed (Much)

Not everything is different. Some emojis maintain consistent meaning across generations:

• ❤️ Red heart - Still means love (though Gen Z may use it more sparingly)
• 🥺 Pleading face - Universally understood as cute/begging
• 🔥 Fire - Still means "hot" or "excellent" across all ages
• 😍 Heart eyes - Still expresses strong positive reaction
• 🤔 Thinking face - Consistent "hmm, interesting" meaning
• 🎉 Party popper - Still means celebration

These tend to be emojis whose visual design clearly communicates their meaning without room for reinterpretation.

Generational Emoji Translation Guide

Here is a practical translation table for cross-generational communication:

When Gen Z sends 💀: They mean "that is hilarious"

When Gen Z sends 😭: They mean "I am overwhelmed" (usually positively)

When Gen Z sends 🙂: They might mean "I am annoyed"

When Gen Z sends 👍: They might mean "okay, whatever"

When Gen Z sends ✨word✨: They are being sarcastic about that word

When Gen Z sends 💅: They mean "unbothered and confident"

When Gen Z sends 🤡: They are calling someone (possibly themselves) foolish

When Gen Z sends 🫠: They mean "I am falling apart but fine"

When Millennials send 😂: They genuinely find it funny

When Millennials send 🙂: They are being pleasant

When Millennials send 👍: They mean "sounds good"

Neither interpretation is wrong. They are different dialects of the same visual language.

How Brands Get It Wrong (And Right)

Nothing is more painful than watching a brand try to use Gen Z emoji slang incorrectly. "We are 💀 over our new product!" from a corporate account reads as either out of touch or accidentally morbid depending on who sees it.

Brands that get it right usually have actual young people running their social media. Wendy's, Duolingo, and a handful of others have mastered the tone because they let young communicators communicate naturally rather than forcing corporate messaging through Gen Z filters.

My advice for anyone trying to communicate with younger audiences: either learn the current slang thoroughly and use it naturally, or do not use it at all. Half-measures are worse than not trying. Sincerity is always respected, even across generational lines.

The Speed of Change

What makes documenting Gen Z emoji slang challenging is how quickly it evolves. The skull emoji has been "funny" for several years now, which is actually unusually stable. Other meanings emerge and fade in months.

By the time you read this article, some of these interpretations may have shifted. The specific emojis matter less than the underlying patterns: irony, amplification, and subversion of literal meaning. Those patterns are likely to persist even as the specific emoji choices rotate.

Bridging the Gap

If you are an older person communicating with Gen Z (or vice versa), here is my practical advice:

For older generations:

• Do not overthink it. Most Gen Z users understand that different generations use emojis differently
• Ask if confused rather than assuming. "Wait, is that good or bad?" is a perfectly fine question
• Use your emojis naturally. Authenticity matters more than being trendy
• Do not try to force Gen Z slang if it does not come naturally. It will feel off

For Gen Z:

• Remember that older people are using emojis sincerely, not passive-aggressively
• A 👍 from your boss probably genuinely means "sounds good"
• Your parents' 😂 is genuine laughter, not cringe
• If your communication style is causing confusion, consider adapting for clarity

What Actually Matters

The generational emoji divide is not really about emojis - it is about how different age groups approach communication. Gen Z wraps meaning in layers of irony and exaggeration. Older generations tend toward more literal expression. Emojis are simply where this difference becomes most visible.

Understanding these differences does not mean you need to change how you communicate. But awareness helps you interpret messages more accurately and avoid misunderstandings. In a world where so much communication happens through text, that awareness is genuinely valuable.

And if someone responds to your message with 💀💀💀, take it as a compliment. You are killing it - in the best possible way.