emoticon
Americannoun
noun
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.
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
Others had grown suspicious of his emoticon use: one wrote that anyone “who uses the ‘!?’ emoji is totally a middle-aged man.”
From Washington Post • May 11, 2021
The picture, with the caption “peaceful troops” and an emoticon of a skeptical face, received 20,000 likes.
From New York Times • Nov. 30, 2020
If they write “Mrs.” in an email, I correct them in my response with a winky-face emoticon.
From Slate • Nov. 7, 2019
Like a little happy but somewhat clueless emoticon.
From "Auggie & Me" by R. J. Palacio
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.
