When it comes to symbolic messages, the Ancient Egyptians had stone-carved hieroglyphics, ‘90s internet users had emoticons, and in the modern era we have…emojis! Since the advent of smartphones, emojis have risen to a place of prominence in how people — especially kids — communicate online. But just like hieroglyphics, emojis don’t always mean what they depict. Don’t worry, we’ll give you the low-down on all the popular emoki slang at the end. But first, let’s dive into why they’re all the rage with teens and tweens.
First, why do kids love emojis so much?
The short answer is: because they’re there! iPhones and Androids come with these little characters built-in, so they’re easy to use and helpful for communicating.
Creativity
Emojis let kids express themselves in a way that words can’t always express. For example, instead of saying “I love it!” when someone sends a photo, using the emoji allows you to visually depict that you appreciate it.
They’re convenient
If you’re in a hurry, sometimes it’s just easier to send a single emoji like the thumbs up instead of typing out a sentence-length reply. Kids text a lot — some up to hundreds of messages a day — so saving time with some shortcuts is one way to handle the volume.
Sometimes, to hide things from parents
Kids know that parents can’t always keep up with the latest emoji slang, so if they’re messaging a friend about something they’d rather their folks not see, they’ll often use a code. For example, instead of texting “bring your weed” — which would immediately catch a parent’s eye if they did a quick spot check — a kid may use the very harmless-seeming floating leaves emoji “.”
2025 Emoji slang to know
Here are some of the most common emojis and their current meaning — keeping in mind that new ones are always popping up and developing.
???? — Butt
???? — Penis
???? — Vagina
???? — Breasts/testicles/virginity
???? — Oral sex
???? — Ejaculation
???? — May indicate oral sex
????️ — Indicates “spiciness,” i.e., inappropriate or risque content
???? — Represents porn (because porn rhymes with corn)
???? — Plug, which means drug dealer, because they “hook you up” with drugs
???? — Indicates being “ghosted” (dumped with no explanation)
???? — “Dump truck” which is slang for a large butt
???? — Used when getting caught in a mistake or when feeling like a fraud
???? — Drunk
???? — Symbolizes a lie, aka “cap”
???????? — Shy, nervous, usually in the context of flirting
⏳ — Used when someone has an hourglass body shape
???? — Often used in response to a snarky or “savage” comment (as in, “That was cold”)
???? — Feeling frisky or naughty
???? — Emoji slang for Marijuana/weed
???? — Desiring someone sexually, often used in response to nudes
???? — Represents nudes, which are often called “noods”
???? — A stamp of approval; “I agree”
Titania Jordan is the author of Parental Control: A Guide to Raising Balanced Kids in the Digital Era and the CMO and Chief Parent Officer of Bark Technologies.
