Emoji Meaning

UK /ɪˈməʊdʒi/
US /ɪˈmoʊdʒi/
Word Definition
emoji meaning

Emoji Definition & Usage

noun

A small digital image or icon used to express an idea, emotion, or reaction in digital communications.

Examples

  • "I sent a smiley emoji to show I was happy."
  • "He always uses a thumbs-up emoji to acknowledge messages."
  • "Can you send me a heart emoji? I love those!"
  • "Emojis have become a language of their own in texting."
  • "Instead of writing 'I'm so excited,' she just sent a party emoji."

Cultural Context

Emojis originated in Japan in the late 1990s as part of a communication tool developed by Shigetaka Kurita for a Japanese mobile phone company. The word 'emoji' comes from the Japanese characters 'e' (絵, 'picture') and 'moji' (文字, 'character'). Emojis have become a global phenomenon, used across digital platforms worldwide to facilitate communication and add emotional nuance to text-based interactions.

The Emoji Adventure

Story

The Emoji Adventure

It was a quiet Saturday afternoon, and Mia sat in front of her phone, texting her friends about their upcoming weekend plans. She had just sent a message to Sarah when a flurry of emojis appeared in the chat: a rocket, a party hat, and a series of fire emojis. Sarah was clearly excited. Mia responded with a laughing emoji, her way of showing that she was amused by Sarah's enthusiasm. After a few minutes, Jake chimed in with a thumbs-up emoji to confirm he was in for the party. Later, Mia sent a heart emoji to her best friend Lily, who had just told her about her new kitten. It was a simple gesture, but it expressed how happy Mia was for Lily. Lily replied with a string of heart and cat emojis, signaling her joy. As the conversation continued, Mia's phone buzzed with a new message from her colleague at work. She opened it with slight apprehension—work messages were often more formal, but to her surprise, the email included a thumbs-up emoji and a brief message: 'Looks good to me.' Mia smiled, knowing that her boss had found a way to keep it casual in the midst of a busy project. The group chat continued to explode with emojis. A dancing girl emoji for when they confirmed their party plans. A fire emoji for excitement. And at the very end, the group sent a globe emoji to represent the future adventures they hoped to have around the world together. In the space of a few minutes, Mia realized that emojis had allowed them to express so much more than just words ever could. That evening, Mia used the heart-eye emoji in a post to express her love for a new song she discovered. The colorful little icons had come to mean so much more than just images—they were the shorthand of modern connection, the emotional punctuation of the digital age. Whether it was a smiley face, a heart, or a thumbs-up, emojis had transformed the way people communicated in the simplest and most fun way possible.