🫠 Melting Face Emoji Meaning
The Melting Face emoji represents extreme heat, shame, or the feeling of slowly sinking into a state of dread. It is the ultimate digital symbol for 'I am overwhelmed' or 'This is so awkward I want to disappear.'
Chat examples
Awkward moment:
Person A: Did you really just trip in front of your crush?
Person B: Please don't look at me 🫠
Extreme Heat:
Person A: How is the weather in Delhi?
Person B: I am literally liquefying 🫠
Sarcastic Dread:
Person A: Boss wants to see you in his office.
Person B: Well, it was nice knowing you 🫠
How people use this emoji
- I just called my teacher 'Mom' 🫠
- It is 45 degrees and the power is out 🫠
- Watching this old video of myself like... 🫠
Fun fact
🫠 became an instant legend because it perfectly captures the feeling of 'smiling through the pain.' It is the visual equivalent of the 'This is Fine' meme where a character sits in a burning house while smiling.
Frequently asked questions
What does 🫠 mean?
It represents heat, embarrassment, or the feeling of being overwhelmed.
Is 🫠 a sarcastic emoji?
Yes, it is almost always used to show you are pretending to be okay while feeling stressed.
What is the difference between 🫠 and 🥵?
🥵 is for physical heat, while 🫠 is for the emotional feeling of wanting to melt away.
Emoji meaning in detail
The Melting Face emoji 🫠 portrays a standard yellow smiley that is liquefying into a pool. It represents a loss of composure and the physical sensation of one's dignity dissolving.
It has become a hallmark of modern communication because it captures a very specific type of 'social fear'—the fear of being seen in an embarrassing moment.
Real-life usage scenarios
A massive staple during summer heatwaves to complain about the weather without being a 'killjoy.'
Used constantly by Gen Z to describe 'cringing' at something so hard that you feel like you're sinking into the floor.
Commonly used to describe 'burnout' at the end of a long work week.
How this emoji affects tone and emotion
This emoji adds a layer of self-deprecating humor and vulnerability.
It signals that the sender is struggling but is still capable of laughing at themselves.
Professional vs casual usage
In casual settings, it is one of the most relatable emojis for shared venting.
In professional settings, use it only in very relaxed team chats to comment on common stressors like tight deadlines.
When to use
Use this when you are embarrassed, dealing with high heat, or feeling a sense of social dread.
When not to use
Avoid in serious or tragic conversations where a 'melting' metaphor would seem insensitive.
Common mistakes and misuse
Using it to describe actual melting objects (like ice cream) is technically a misuse; the emoji is meant to convey human emotion.
Avoid using it to deliver genuine bad news, as the smile makes it look like you aren't taking the tragedy seriously.
Unicode and technical information
Unicode name: MELTING FACE
Unicode version: Unicode 14.0
Code point: U+1FAE0
Shortcodes: :melting_face:
Platform appearance
Apple’s version looks very liquid and glossy, while Google’s design has a more 'drippy' cartoonish feel.
Regardless of the device, the 'dissolving smile' is the core feature that users recognize.