🛎

bellhop bell

Unicode: 1F6CE

Description

A yellow circular face with a surprised or shocked expression, wide open eyes, and often an open mouth. The specific design can vary, but generally depicts shock or awe.

Group:

Travel & Places > hotel

Status:

unqualified

Emotion:

Typically represents surprise, shock, awe, amazement, or incredulity. Can be used for both positive and negative surprises.

Backstory

This emoji was introduced in Unicode 6.0 (2010). While not as universally recognized as some other face emojis, it serves the distinct purpose of conveying a startled or surprised emotion.

Usage Examples

  • Expressing surprise: 'Wait, really? 😮'
  • Reacting to shocking news: 'I can't believe it! 😮'
  • Showing amazement: 'That's incredible! 😮'
  • Conveying a 'gasp' moment: 'She just said what? 😮'

Cultural Differences

Western culture:

Commonly used for expressions of general surprise, astonishment, or 'mind blown' moments.

East Asian culture:

Similar usage, but might also be used in contexts of being pleasantly startled or to convey humble surprise.