🤦🏻
person facepalming: light skin tone
Unicode: 1F926 1F3FB
Description
A person with a hand over their mouth, possibly indicating a secret, surprise, or embarrassment. The 1F3FB modifier indicates light skin tone.
Group:
People & Body > person-gesture
Status:
fully-qualified
Emotion:
Can convey surprise, shock, embarrassment, a secret, or sometimes mischief.
Backstory
This emoji was part of Unicode 9.0 in 2016. Its gesture is widely recognized across many cultures though specific nuances can vary. The skin tone modifiers (like 1F3FB) were added to provide more inclusive representation.
Usage Examples
- Hearing surprising news: 'Did you hear what happened? 🤫 There's a big secret out!'
- Sharing a secret: 'I can't believe I'm telling you this, but...🤫'
- Feeling embarrassed: 'I totally tripped over nothing just now 🤫'
- Playfully gossiping: 'Guess who I saw today 🤫'
Cultural Differences
Western culture:
Often associated with 'oops' moments, sharing secrets, or playful gossip.
East Asian culture:
Can represent shyness or modesty, especially when paired with a slight bow or averted gaze in real-life gestures.