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🥹🥹 Face Holding Back Tears EmojiUnicode: 1F979

A face trying not to cry.

Released in The 🥹 emoji was introduced in Unicode 14.0 in September 2021 and became widely available in Emoji 14.0, representing a new way to express subtle emotions in digital communication.

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Meaning and Interpretation

The 🥹 emoji, known as 'Face Holding Back Tears,' depicts a face with eyes wide and tears welling up, but actively suppressing the urge to cry. It conveys a mix of intense emotions such as overwhelming joy, deep sadness, gratitude, or nostalgia. This emoji is often used to show vulnerability and emotional restraint in situations where someone is touched but trying to maintain composure. It's popular in modern messaging for highlighting heartfelt moments without full-blown sadness.

Symbolism

  • Emotional restraint: Represents holding in strong feelings to stay composed.
  • Overwhelming sentiment: Symbolizes moments of deep emotion like happiness or grief that are hard to contain.
  • Human vulnerability: Stands for the universal experience of nearly crying in response to life's touching events.

Common Usage Scenarios

  • Responding to heartwarming stories or personal achievements, like congratulating a friend on good news.
  • Expressing sympathy in conversations about loss or challenges, to show empathy without overwhelming the discussion.
  • Sharing moments of gratitude, such as thanking someone for their support during tough times.

Usage Examples in Conversation

That reunion video you shared was so sweet, it had me holding back tears 🥹
I'm so proud of your accomplishment, but it's making me emotional right now 🥹
Just finished reading your message, and it's touching my heart 🥹
Seeing your kids grow up like that always gets to me 🥹
Your kind words mean the world, I'm trying not to cry 🥹

Usage Guidelines and Etiquette

  • Use it sparingly to convey genuine emotion; overusing it can dilute its impact in conversations.
  • Avoid in professional or formal contexts, as it may come across as too personal or informal.
  • Pair it with other emojis for clarity, like combining with ❤️ for joy or 😔 for sadness, to better express mixed feelings.

Related Emojis

😢

Crying Face

Used for openly expressing sadness or tears.

😭

Loudly Crying Face

Indicates intense sobbing or extreme emotional distress.

🥲

Smiling Face with Tear

Shows bittersweet happiness mixed with a tear, similar to holding back joy.

🥺

Pleading Face

Conveys begging or emotional appeal, often with a sense of vulnerability.

😊

Smiling Face with Smiling Eyes

Represents warm, restrained happiness that can pair with emotional moments.

😔

Pensive Face

Depicts thoughtful sadness, ideal for reflective emotional states.

🙂

Slightly Smiling Face

Shows subtle positivity while hiding deeper emotions.

😌

Relieved Face

Expresses relief after an emotional build-up, like after holding back tears.

😓

Downcast Face with Sweat

Indicates stress or emotional strain that might lead to tears.

☹️

Frowning Face

A simple way to show general sadness or disappointment.