Emoji

/ɪˈmoʊdʒi/

nounBeginner🔥Very CommonTechnology
1 meaning3 questions

Definitions

1

A small digital image or icon used to express an idea, emotion, etc., in electronic communication.

/ɪˈmoʊdʒi/

nounneutralBeginner
Technology

He used a thumbs-up emoji to show his approval.

💡 Simply: Emojis are like little pictures you use in texts and online to show how you're feeling or what you're talking about. Like, if you're happy, you might use a smiley face emoji! 😊

👶 For kids: A little picture you can send in a message to show how you feel, like a happy face or a sad face!

More Examples

2

Emojis have become a standard part of online communication.

3

She sent me an emoji of a pizza because I told her I was hungry.

How It's Used

Digital Communication

"She added a laughing emoji to her text message."

Social Media

"The post got a lot of likes and heart emojis."

From Japanese 絵文字 (emoji), meaning 'picture character'. Originally developed in Japan for mobile phones in the late 1990s.

Emojis became widely popular in the 2010s with the rise of smartphones and social media.

Memory tip

Think of a picture or a face showing an emotion - that's an emoji!

Word Origin

LanguageJapanese
Original meaning

"Picture character (絵文字)"

use an emojiadd an emojiemoji keyboard

Common misspellings

emogiemojieemojii

Usage

70%Spoken
90%Written