man shrugging
Unicode: 1F937 200D 2642 FE0F
Description
A person with a hand over their face, fingers spread, conveying shame, embarrassment, or disbelief. This specific sequence represents a man.
Group:
People & Body > person-gesture
Status:
fully-qualified
Emotion:
Typically represents shame, embarrassment, disappointment, regret, or a 'can't believe this' reaction. Can also imply exasperation or internal cringe.
Backstory
The 'person gesturing NO' (1F937) was introduced in Unicode 9.0 (2016). The sequence 200D 2642 FE0F is a zero-width joiner (ZWJ) sequence to specify the gender as male. It represents a common internet meme and real-life gesture for expressing exasperation or strong disapproval of visible stupidity or awkwardness.
Usage Examples
- Reacting to a bad joke: 'Did he seriously just say that? 🤷♂️'
- After a blunder: 'I can't believe I just did that. 🤷♂️'
- Expressing disbelief at news: 'They actually approved that plan? 🤷♂️'
- When someone says something foolish: 'That's just... no. 🤷♂️'
Cultural Differences
Western culture:
Widely understood as 'facepalm' – a gesture of exasperation or embarrassment at someone's stupidity or a regrettable situation. Often used ironically.
East Asian culture:
Similar understanding, though the gesture itself might be less common in person and more prevalent online to express similar feelings of 'OMG' or embarrassment.