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.
There’s been a resurgence recently of “vintage hearts” in videos, like the emoticon <3, Mr. Sullivan said.
From New York Times • Feb. 14, 2023
Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns tweeted in response on Wednesday, using a national flag emoticon for “America.”
From Washington Times • Aug. 17, 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
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.
