emoticon
Americannoun
-
emoticons
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of emoticon
Compare meaning
How does emoticon compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
An emoticon is a typed series of characters that resembles a facial expression and expresses some emotion. You might use an emoticon in an email, a text message, or in an explanation of the word emoticon :) . Most emoticons are flipped on their side, like the classic smiley face emoticon, which looks like this: :-) or like this: :) and expresses happiness or playfulness. If you want to send a subtle message like "Just kidding," or "Ha ha," you might use a winking emoticon like this one: ;). Emoticons help lend a specific tone or mood to a message. The word emoticon, a combination of emotion and icon, first appeared in 1994.
Vocabulary lists containing emoticon
Computer Science and Technology - Introductory
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Computer Science and Technology - Middle School
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Computer Science and Technology - High School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
She eulogizes the emoticon, that conglomeration of punctuation marks that English-language texters used to convey feelings before the arrival in 2010 of the emoji.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
Two crucial ones were the < symbol and the number 3, which together made an emoticon heart <3.
From New York Times ● Feb. 14, 2023
Mr. Musk replied on Friday with an emoticon of a bull’s-eye, indicating he thought the user was right on target.
From Washington Times ● Dec. 16, 2022
“And here you can’t even remove one fool,” Lutsenko laments, using a sad-face emoticon as he again appeared to push for Yovanovitch’s ouster.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 27, 2020
Like a little happy but somewhat clueless emoticon.
From "Auggie & Me" by R. J. Palacio
These included "broligarchy," "Gen Z stare," and an entry from the world of emoticons -- the dynamite emoji.
From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2025
Conversations between the co-defendants on social media showed they had sent emoticons depicting a smiley face and hearts to each other.
From BBC ● Mar. 24, 2025
As an added bonus, you can also use the companion app to add text, emoticons, colorful frames, and adjust both color and exposure.
From The Verge ● Aug. 3, 2022
Inside Lucky Shots in Minneapolis, installations of large emoticons or phrases like “Sup?” emit a Pop Art feel.
From New York Times ● Jun. 14, 2022
Use emoticons and acronyms only if Dr. Chomsky will get them—and welcome them!
From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
