What Does the 🥹 (Holding Back Tears Emoji) Mean?

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All the possible meanings of this emotionally complex emoji over text, Twitter, TikTok, Snapchat, and more

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🥹 (Holding Back Tears Emoji) Meanings

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Replying to 🥹 (Holding Back Tears Emoji)

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🥹 (Holding Back Tears Emoji) Alternatives

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Tips

Some emojis are super easy to understand, while others—like a little smiling face with tears in its eyes—seem contradictory. Is it a happy face? A sad face? A little of both? In this article, we’ll show you all the possible meanings of the emotional 🥹 (holding back tears) emoji over text or on social media, plus how to reply to it to support your friends through their ups and downs. Let’s check it out!

Things You Should Know

The 🥹 emoji shows symbolizes someone trying to cry when they’re overcome with joy, pride, or by something very sweet or touching.
A 🥹 emoji can also refer to someone putting on a brave face while they’re sad, angry, or hurt.^{[1]XResearch source}
Reply to 🥹 by showing the sender some support—if they’re happy, congratulate or compliment them! If they’re sad, be sympathetic and comforting.

Section 1 of 3:

🥹 (Holding Back Tears Emoji) Meanings

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Use a 🥹 emoji when you’re fighting back impromptu tears of joy. If you’ve ever been so proud, grateful, relieved, or just so plain happy you could cry, then this emoji is for you. Use the crying smile emoji in texts or on social media to show you’re bursting with positivity on the inside, but trying to maintain your composure on the outside.^{[2]XResearch source}
- “After 2 years, my boss finally told me I’m on track for a promotion. I’m just so grateful and happy! 🥹”
- “I’m so proud of you! 🥹 You were amazing on stage tonight!”
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Try a 🥹 emoji when you have a tear-jerk reaction to something touching. You know that little sniffle you hold back when you see a cute puppy running around or when you finish a gut-wrenching romance movie? The smiling crying emoji gets you! Send it to relay the feeling of something surprising catching you in the feels and making you turn away to dab your eyes.^{[3]XResearch source}
- “Don’t you EVER stop sending pics of your new kitten 🥹🥹🥹”
- “Your short story was so personal and touching 🥹 I loved it!”
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Send 🥹 when you’re putting on a brave face when you’re hurt or sad. Even though this little emoji is smiling, it can also illustrate someone trying to hide tears for negative reasons. Use 🥹 in your messages when you want to convey that you’re hanging in there during tough times, doing your best to stay calm and collected, or just generally trying to hide your true emotions.^{[4]XResearch source}
- “It’s been hard since we broke up, but I’m doing alright 🥹”
- “My back is killing me but it will not get in the way of our vacation!!! 🥹”

Section 2 of 3:

Replying to 🥹 (Holding Back Tears Emoji)

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Congratulate, uplift, or compliment someone who’s holding back joy. If a pal sends you a euphoric text with the 🥹 emoji, keep the good feelings flowing! Congratulate them on their pride-inducing accomplishment, give them some praise, or just share in their happiness with heartfelt words, a slew of exclamation points, or whatever seems right for the situation.
- Them: “Tyler said his first word today! 🥹”
  You: “Omg congrats!!!! You must be one proud mama!”
- Them: “I got accepted to Juilliard!! 🥹🥹 I could cry!”
  You: “YESS!!! You deserve it! I’m so proud of you!!”
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Send “aw!” when someone sends you something that’s just too cute. If a friend goes through the trouble of sending you a message about something adorable, they probably think you’ll find it adorable too! Reply with more “aws,” heart-react to the message or a photo, or simply gush over the cute animal, child, or story.
- Them: “I found my grandparents’ wedding photos! Aren’t they cute? 😍🥹”
  You: “Aw! Love it! 💙
- Them: “Brian sent me roses for no reason 🥹”
  You: “You guys are too cute together!”
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Be sympathetic or send a comforting text when a friend’s feeling down. If someone’s telling you about how they’re barely holding it together through a breakup, work trouble, an injury, or any other trials and tribulations, let them know you’re there for moral support. Offer a helpful favor, cheer them up with jokes or memes, or just let them vent to you until they’re feeling a bit lighter.
- Them: “Well, I got laid off today. Hanging in there 🥹”
  You: “Oh no!! Are you OK? I’ll bring over some wine ASAP!”
- Them: “I STUBBED MY TOE 3 TIMES TODAY 🥹🤬”
  You: “Nooooo. Good thing ice is free!”

Section 3 of 3:

🥹 (Holding Back Tears Emoji) Alternatives

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Use other teary, smiley emojis to convey nuanced feelings or reactions. These days, there’s an emoji for nearly feeling you could have. When 🥹 doesn’t quite hit the mark, try one of these teary-eyed but lighthearted emojis to relay a different shade of your emotions:
- 🥲 (smiling face with tear) = tearing up with positive or negative emotions
- 🥺 (pleading face) = tearing up while asking or pleading for something
- 😂 (face with tears of joy) = laughing and crying with happiness
- 😢 (crying face) or 😭 (loudly crying face) = tearing up in sadness or anger
- 😣 (persevering face) = hanging in there through adversity

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Tips

The 🥹 emoji was recognized as the most popular new emoji in 2022.^{[5]XResearch source}
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🥹 is also known as the “teary eyed,” “tears of joy,” “pooling tears,” resisting tears,” “tearing up,” emotional face,” “proud tears,” “tears welling up,” or “happy cry” emoji.
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