Emoji dictionary

šŸ–• Middle Finger emoji

[ mid-l fing-ger ih-moh-jee ]

What does šŸ–•Ā Middle Finger emoji mean?

The middle finger emoji represents the physical act of raising oneā€™s middle fingerā€”considered an obscene gesture in many culturesā€”and is used for offensive or humorous effect.

Related words

zero fucks

Where does šŸ–• Middle Finger emoji come from?

orange background with middle finger emoji on it

The raising of oneā€™s middle finger (also referred to as ā€œgiving someone the finger,ā€ ā€œflipping someone off,ā€ or ā€œflipping the birdā€) is a traditionally obscene gesture in Western culture. The gesture dates as far back as 423 BC when Ancient-Greek comic-playwright Aristophanes used the gesture in his play, The Clouds. It is considered a phallic symbol, originally meant to threaten violent sexual penetration, which has developed into its contemporary meaning of ā€œfuck youā€ or ā€œgo fuck yourself.ā€ It is now often used to express displeasure, rage, excitement, or protest.

Approved by Unicode in 2014 (U+1F595), the middle finger emoji became widely popular at the end of 2015. This is when Apple released the iOS 9.1 update, which included the middle finger among several new emoji. The emojiā€™s official name is Reversed Hand With Middle Finger Extended, and it also goes by the names rude finger, flipping the bird, and dito medio.

Examples of šŸ–• Middle Finger emoji

I'll NEVER go back FU#K THE NFL.šŸ–•
@deplorable_dawg, January 2018
this year it's all about me & my goals & if you fucked me over in 2017, don't even think you can come back in my life in 2018Ā šŸ˜‚šŸ˜‚šŸ–•
@jessicaraeiman, January 2018
I know I'm an adult and a professional but it sure is hard somedays on this website not to respond simply with the middle finger emoji.
@shannonmstirone, January 2018
SEE MORE EXAMPLES

Who uses šŸ–• Middle Finger emoji?

Raising the middle finger has become a common, vulgar gesture signifying anger or rebellion, though it may be most recognizable in Western culture. It can be used in a range of contexts: by celebrities when photographed by paparazzi, by drivers expressing road rage, or among friends in a playful manner. The emoji is used similarly.

As with the actual gesture, the emoji may be considered extremely rude and inappropriate, especially in formal contexts.

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Note

This is not meant to be a formal definition of šŸ–• Middle Finger emoji like most terms we define on Dictionary.com, but is rather an informal word summary that hopefully touches upon the key aspects of the meaning and usage of šŸ–• Middle Finger emoji that will help our users expand their word mastery.