emoji

American  

[ih-moh-jee] / ɪˈmoʊ dʒi /

noun

plural

emoji, emojis

1. Digital Technology. a small digital picture or pictorial symbol that represents a thing, feeling, concept, etc., used in text messages and other electronic communications and usually part of a standardized set.

   She texted me an emoji of “money with wings,” which probably means she’s out shopping.

---

Etymology

Origin of emoji

First recorded in 1990–95; from Japanese: literally, “pictograph,” equivalent to e “picture, drawing” + moji “(written) character, letter”; kaomoji ( def. )

Compare meaning

How does emoji compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• emoticon vs. emoji

Example Sentences

They exchanged a coded warning using four heart emojis to warn each other in case South Korea tried to bar their travel or arrest them, prosecutors said.

From The Wall Street Journal

For his part, Schroder posted on social media, “Attempting,” with several emojis.

From Los Angeles Times

"This is what actually investing into the game's growth looks like," one anonymous fan said on Reddit, with another describing the management team with a fire emoji.

From BBC

Comment sections overflow with exclamation points and emojis, the emotion palpable through the screen.

From Los Angeles Times

"On the way to Miami," Dmitriev wrote in an X post, adding a pigeon emoji and attaching a short video of a morning sun shining through the clouds on a beach with palms.

From Barron's