thumbs down: dark skin tone
Unicode: 1F44E 1F3FF
Description
A hand with its thumb pointing downwards, indicating disapproval or rejection, with dark skin tone.
Group:
People & Body > hand-fingers-closed
Status:
fully-qualified
Emotion:
Typically represents disapproval, dislike, rejection, failure, or negativity.
Backstory
The thumbs down gesture has ancient origins, famously associated with Roman gladiatorial contests where the gesture signified whether a defeated gladiator should be spared or killed. The Unicode standard included this emoji (and various skin tones) to represent this common gesture of disapproval.
Usage Examples
- Expressing dislike for content: 'Didn't enjoy that movie. 👎🏿'
- Indicating rejection: 'My proposal got a big thumbs down. 👎🏿'
- Showing disagreement: 'I strongly disagree with that idea. 👎🏿'
- Marking something as bad or failing: 'This plan is a total thumbs down. 👎🏿'
Cultural Differences
Western culture:
Widely understood as a sign of disapproval, rejection, or negativity, often stemming from gladiator games where a thumbs down meant 'death' or 'no mercy'.
East Asian culture:
Generally understood as disapproval, similar to Western cultures, but its use might be less frequent or direct in formal settings.