face screaming in fear
Unicode: 1F631
Description
A yellow circular face with an open mouth and both hands covering its face, typically showing shock, fear, or a Scream-like expression.
Group:
Smileys & Emotion > face-concerned
Status:
fully-qualified
Emotion:
Commonly expresses shock, horror, fear, surprise, or intense disbelief. It can also convey extreme worry or a general sense of being overwhelmed.
Backstory
This emoji was introduced in Unicode 6.0 (2010). Its design is widely recognized as an homage to Edvard Munch's famous painting 'The Scream', capturing a universal human emotion of existential dread or extreme distress. It quickly became a popular way to visually represent moments of intense surprise or terror in digital communication.
Usage Examples
- Reacting to shocking news: 'Did you see that? 😱'
- Expressing fear: 'I just heard a weird noise outside... 😱'
- Showing extreme surprise: 'You got tickets to the concert?! 😱'
- Conveying a 'facepalm' moment with more intensity: 'I can't believe I did that! 😱'
Cultural Differences
Western culture:
Frequently used to express extreme shock, horror, or fear, similar to the Edvard Munch painting 'The Scream'. Can also convey 'Oh my god!' moments.
East Asian culture:
Similar usage for shock and fear, but sometimes also used for exaggerated surprise or embarrassment in lighthearted contexts.