An emoticon is a textual expression of the face representing the writer's mood or facial expression. Emoticons are used to display the receiver of the message about the temperament of a person and the statement. It can improve the conveyance of the message and also gives more meaningful expression to the message than just by simple interpretation of the plain text.
The origin of emoticons goes back when the Telegraphic Review and Operators Guide documented the use of the number 73 in Morse code to express "love and kisses," which was later reduced to the formal "best regards."
These are created by a complex character pattern or combination of the electronic keyboard characters. It is increasingly being used in email, SMS, status message, social networking sites, web forums, instant messengers, and online games. This way of expression oneself is increasingly becoming popular through the use of the interactive electronic media.
An emoticon represents an expressing face, you can notice it if you tip your head to the left and look at it again. The colon represents the eyes, the dash represents the nose, and the right parenthesis represent the mouth. Emoticons have expanded beyond simple cartoon facial expressions to include a variety of still or moving images called smileys, . Some of these graphical emoticons do not actually represent faces or emotions, such as an "emoticon" showing a guitar might be used to represent music. Further, some instant messaging software is designed to play a sound upon receiving certain emoticons.
These little characters are a great way to spice up your IM conversations and status messages to show your friends how you feel. Select them from the emoticon menu or type the keyboard shortcuts directly into your status message. Here there is a list of emoticons that are commonly used for message transmission.
Key Combination Description
:) happy face
also :-) :) :o) :] :3 :c) :> =] 8) =) :} :^) happy face, emoticon separated by space
:-) smiling, agreeing
:-D laughing
also :-D :D 8D xD XD =D =3 <=3 <=8 laughing, big grin, emoticon separated by space
|-) hee hee
|-D ho ho
:-> hey hey
;-) so happy, I'm crying
:'-) crying with joy
;) winking
also ;) ,-) ;-) '-) *) ;] ;D wink; just kidding, emoticon separated by space
:-> follows a really sarcastic remark
also ^>.>^ ^<.<^ ^>_>^ ^<_<^ look that way/ sarcasm / Irony, emoticon separated by space
(-: left handed
\~/ full glass; my glass is full
;-> devilish wink
:*) clowning
:-T keeping a straight face
:^D "Great! I like it!"
8-] "Wow, maaan"
:-o "Wow!"
^5 high five
^ thumbs up
:] a friendly midget who wants to befriend you
(::()::) bandaid; offering help or support
:-( frowning
:-( :( :c :< :[ :{ frown, emoticon separated by space
:D big grin
;;) batting eyelashes
:-P playful
also :P XP :-p :p =p :-Þ :Þ :-b :b tongue sticking out, cheeky/playful, emoticon separated by space
: * kisses
:-X a big wet kiss!
:-x kiss kiss
:-* kissing emoticon
:-* :* kiss
:-{} blowing a kiss
( ) hug, commonly called a cyberhug
[ ] hugs
(( )):** hugs and kisses
((((name)))) hug
>:D< big hug
<3 heart
<333 love, heart, lots of hearts
:-/ confused
=^_^= =>.>= =<_<= =>.<= happy blushing, embarrassed blushing, bashful, emoticon separated by space
:-& tonguetied
:-S incoherent
:-\ undecided
:- I "hmmm..."
:-, "hmmm "
:-# "My lips are sealed"
:-X "My lips are sealed"
also :-X :X :-# :# sealed lips, embarrassed, emoticon separated by space
:-Y a quiet aside
:-" pursing lips
:-W speaking with forked tongue
:( ) can't stop talking
:x love struck
:"> blushing
:P tongue
=(( broken heart
:-O surprise
:( sad
D: D8 D; D= DX v.v horror, disgust, sadness, emoticon separated by space
:-( sad emoticon. You aren't joking; You are not satisfied
also :< :C :-< really sad, emoticon separated by space
:-c really unhappy
:-C really bummed
&-| tearful
:' crying
:'-( crying and really sad
:-| grim
:[ really down
:-[ pouting
\_/ "my glass is empty"
X( angry
also :-|| >:-< D:< >:( D-:< >:-( :-@ ( `_´ D< angry, mad, emoticon separated by space
:-@ screaming
:-V shouting
:-r sticking tongue out
:-9 licking chops
>:-< absolutely livid!!
\,,/ \m/ Rock on
\o/ praise, excitement, jumping for joy
\o o/ greeting, hello, goodbye
d'-' d'_' d'-'b d'_'b thumbs up, Gig 'em
) salute
o/\o high five
:& fail face
:-, smirk
:-P nyahhhh! doubt what it means
:-> bitingly sarcastic
:> smug
B-) cool
:-S worried
:~/ mixed up
%-) braindead
(:I egghead
<:-I dunce
=:-) hosehead
:-] smiling blockhead
:-[ un-smiling blockhead
|-O yawning
|-I asleep
:-6 exhausted; wipeout
#:-S whew!
O:-) 0:3 O:) angel
>:) devil
:(( crying
also :'( ;*( T_T TT_TT T.T crying, emoticon separated by space
:)) laughing
:| straight face
/:) raised eyebrows
:> What?
also :@ :Q What?
:-o "uhh oh!" OR surprise
also :-O :O O_O o_o 8O OwO O-O 0_o O_o O3O o0o ;o_o; o...o 0w0 surprise, shock, nondescript, emoticon separated by space
;-) sardonic incredulity
:O shocked
8-| eyes wide with surprise
:-/ skeptical
also :-/ :/ :\ =/ =\ :S skeptical, annoyed, undecided, uneasy, hesitant, emoticon separated by space
8-O "Omigod!!"
:| straight face, disgusted, grim, no expression
:-C just totally unbelieving
|-{ "Good Grief!" (Charlie Brown)
=)) rolling on the floor
O:-) angel
:-B nerd
=; talk to the hand
:-c call me
:)] on the phone
~X( at wits' end
:-h wave
:-t time out
8-> day dreaming
I-) sleepy
:)~ :-)>.... drooling
8-| rolling eyes
L-) loser
:-& sick
:-$ don't tell anyone
[-( no talking
:O) clown
8-} silly
<:-P party
(:| yawn
>:) >;) >:-) evil, emoticon separated by space
=P~ drooling
:-? thinking
#-o d'oh
=D> applause
:-SS nail biting
@-) hypnotized
:^o liar
:-w waiting
:-< sigh
>:P phbbbbt
<):) cowboy
X_X I don't want to see
:!! hurry up!
\m/ rock on!
:-q thumbs down
:-bd thumbs up
^#(^ it wasn't me
:ar! pirate*
B) B-) 8) 8-) shades
d:-) qB-) cap, backwards cap
:-* Oops!
:-I indifferent
\-o bored
:-P tongue hanging out in anticipation
O :-) angelic; being an angel
:X kissing emoticon
also :-* :-<> ;-<> I-want-to-kiss-you, emoticon separated by space
:-@ :-)~~(-: :-)~~~~ French kiss, emoticon separated by space
:-@ screaming; swearing
:-() yelling
XD laughing hilariously
:^):< naked
>8D evil or crazed laughter
X) being mischievous
:-D laughing
|-I asleep
:] talk to me
:OI mouth full
:p~~ drooling
;-<> drooling
!o) winking (taking a peak)
:{ }: two people talking
Descriptive emoticons:
:-)) really happy (or has double chin)
:-(( really sad
:)> emoticon with beard
:-{> emoticon with mustache and beard
d:-) wearing a baseball hat
i-( swollen-eyed
:-s don't know what to say
?) lazy Eyed
:-()=0 fat
$-) won the lottery
:-#/ wears braces
:-~) got a flew / Runny nose
O-) <# cyclops, emoticon separated by space
&: ) curly haired smiling girl
:\/ can't keep his mouth shut
:>) nosy
:-Q smoker
;-Q smoking
:-? pipe smoking
8-) wearing sun glasses
8-) bandit or masked man.
B-) emoticon with sunglasses on his head
~:() fish lips
:-{) has a mustache
(Ü) very happy, with big cheeks
:=) has two noses
X-( just died
[:-) wearing a walkman
.-) emoticon with one eye
(:-) (:+) bald, emoticon separated by space
&:-) bad hair day
{(:-) emoticon with a toupee
{(:{) emoticon with a mustache and a toupee
}(:-( emoticon with a toupee when it is windy
!-| emoticon with a black eye
:-{} wearing lipstick
@:-) hajji or guy with a turban
$-0 writer only talks money
:-& writer only want to hear himself
:-& :~X tongue tied, emoticon separated by space
=:-O scared
:-) . I have an inny (belly button)
:-)8 emoticon with the bow tie
:-Þ sticking out tongue (type :- and then press alt+ 0222)
:-p :-)~ tongue sticking out, emoticon separated by space
§=-) curly haired smile
§:-) happy person with curly hair
:^) regular smile
;^) winking
:-(E sloppy eater
:o) emoticon with a big nose
s-] silly
:z sick
<:-) cone head
<:)- <:-) dunce, emoticon separated by space
|8-) ):-) unibrow
|-) someone with eyebrows growing through each other
B-} have got eyes for you
L:) wearing hat sideways
&-) stoned
L:) loser
<%-) cross eyed
People emoticons:
~:O) baby
~:o baby
~(:O baby crying
:^{] father (with mustache)
+:-) doctor
P-( P^{) :ar! pirate, emoticon separated by space
P^) pirate (with patch over an eye)
O:-) angel
:O) clown
@:-) hajji or guy with a turban
>:) devil
Animal emoticons:
_@/ ascii snail - meaning a slow connection
=:~> bunny
3< <:3)~~~~ mouse, emoticon separated by space
{:V duck
y baby bird
(o.o) <( @.@ )> Owl, emoticon separated by space
3:-o 3:(:) ) cow, emoticon separated by space
3:@~ cow grazing
8^ chicken
:]~~~~~~* frog catching a fly
____/\___\o/___ shark
<:>== Turkey
:@) :8) :©) pig
})i({ butterfly
>"-[ [ [ [ ~~~ alligator
><> fish
~))))'> possum (large)
~)))'> possum (medium)
Item emoticons:
@-}-- @>-- @}-;-'--- Rose, emoticon separated by space
@--->--->-- ------{--@ @}-'-,-'-,--- rose with stem and leaves, emoticon separated by space
<3 love/heart
<) pizza
<)<)<) slices of pizza
(|0|) hamburger
(|0|0|) double hamburger
(_() marshmallow
\&&&/ pretzels
(#) qaffle
~\_/7 cup of tea / coffee
(_)3 beer mug
<{:-) party (hat)
|=---| bed
|----| bed without pillow
[>O diamond ring
3--- fork
==--- knife
<>--- spoon
|o---| another comfortable bed
(:::::[]:::::) Band Aid
[{--Crayon--]}> crayon (try in different colors)
<----D bow and arrow
<;;;;;;;;;;;|===0 sword
Other emoticons:
**** winter
~0~ summer
M-),:X,:-M see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil
[ ] hug
:-X I-promise-not-to-tell (my lips are sealed)
:-O don't cry
(o---<) sounds fishy
~:| don't bother me
:(-x-) kiss my ass
:-o^^^^: after zippering your fly to fast
:-§ tongue twister
%~} just got hit