red heart
Unicode: 2764
Description
A classic red heart symbol, universally recognized as a representation of love.
Group:
Smileys & Emotion > heart
Status:
unqualified
Emotion:
Primarily signifies love, affection, passion, and romance. It can also represent friendship, support, and health.
Backstory
The red heart symbol predates digital communication, appearing in iconography, playing cards, and art for centuries to represent love and the heart organ. In the context of emotional pictograms, it has been a fundamental symbol representing love in digital character sets long before the advent of emojis. It was included in the earliest emoji sets and remains one of the most frequently used emojis globally.
Usage Examples
- Expressing romantic love: 'I love you ❤️'
- Showing affection for friends/family: 'Thanks for everything, mom ❤️'
- Indicating support: 'Thinking of you ❤️'
- Reacting positively to content: 'This post is pure ❤️'
- Wishing well-being: 'Stay safe and healthy! ❤️'
Cultural Differences
Western culture:
Strongly associated with romantic and platonic love, Valentine's Day, and expressions of fondness. Often used for sincere and deep emotions.
East Asian culture:
Similar meanings of love and affection. Can also be used more broadly to show appreciation or agreement in digital interactions.
Global:
One of the most universally understood emojis for positive emotional connection.