Originally the most popular emoji on the planet — a yellow face crying tears from laughing too hard.
Originally the most popular emoji on the planet — a yellow face crying tears from laughing too hard. It still works as laughter, but in 2026 it reads as 30-plus or boomer-coded among Gen Z, who switched to 💀 and 😭 between 2018 and 2020. Older audiences still send it without irony; younger ones notice when you do. The shift is real but harmless — nobody is genuinely offended by 😂, they just clock your age.
Add your own interpretation of "😂".
Emoji meanings decoded — 💀 for dying of laughter, 🫠 for melting under pressure, 💅 for unbothered, and the generational landmines (👍) every Gen Z reader has to navigate.
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A yellow face tipped sideways with tears flying out, laughing so hard it's rolled onto the floor. Reads even more boomer-coded than 😂 in 2026 — Gen Z avoids it entirely, but it's still common in older audiences, family group chats and brand replies. Sending 🤣 to anyone under 25 is like wearing socks with sandals: not wrong, just instantly aging. Use 💀 or 😭 if you want to sound under 30.
A yellow face crying loudly with both eyes streaming and an open mouth. In 2026 it almost always means laughter, not sadness — Gen Z hijacked it as the "I'm crying [from laughing]" replacement for 😂 around 2018-2020. Occasionally still means genuine emotion, but you read which from the surrounding message. Compresses "I can't" / "this is sending me" into a single character. Dominant on TikTok comments and youth texting.
A yellow face with eyes squeezed shut and a wide grin showing teeth. Conveys hearty laughter that's not at the "I'm dying" level — happy reaction, friendly chuckle. Reads slightly older in 2026 but still works in any audience without feeling forced. The middle ground between 😂 (boomer-coded) and 💀 (Gen Z) — safe across generations.
The skull emoji means "I'm dead" — i.e. dying of laughter. Replaced 😂 for Gen Z around 2019–2020; the crying-laughing emoji is now considered a millennial tell.