seal
Unicode: 1F9AD
Description
A yellow circular face with downturned, curved eyebrows and a flat, closed mouth, often appearing with a neutral, unimpressed, or slightly annoyed expression, sometimes implying 'meh' or 'whatever.'
Group:
Animals & Nature > animal-marine
Status:
fully-qualified
Emotion:
Neutral, unimpressed, indifferent, skeptical, 'meh', or slightly annoyed.
Backstory
This emoji was introduced in Unicode 8.0 (2015) as part of a larger set of emotion-based emojis. It fills a niche for conveying a more subdued and less expressive form of displeasure or disinterest compared to stronger negative emojis.
Usage Examples
- Expressing indifference: 'The movie was okay 😐'
- Responding with mild annoyance: 'Another meeting? 😐'
- Conveying unimpressed reaction: 'They said it would be exciting... 😐'
- Sarcastic 'meh': 'Oh, great, more paperwork 😐'
Cultural Differences
Western culture:
Commonly used to convey a lack of enthusiasm, apathy, or mild displeasure without strong emotion. Often used sarcastically or for uninspired reactions.
East Asian culture:
Generally understood as conveying neutrality or mild disappointment, but less frequently used for sarcasm compared to Western contexts. Can also express a lack of interest.