What Does the 👀 Eyes Emoji Mean? (2024)

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Co-authored byJanice TiepermanReviewed byAnyah Le Gilmore-Jones

Last Updated: October 7, 2024Fact Checked

Eyes Emoji Meaning

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   Shock: Shock and surprise are difficult emotions to put into words. Thankfully, the 👀 emoji does a great job of capturing the sense of excitement and astonishment that comes with a piece of unexpected news.^[1]

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   Deceit: Everyone breaks the rules once in a while—what better way to flex your misdeeds than with the shady 👀 emoji? In this case, using 👀 is a playful way to boast about what you just (potentially) got away with.^[2]

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3. See Also

   👀 Eyes Emoji — (2) Meanings, Copy & Paste

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   Embarrassment: While not quite as powerful as the 😳 or 🙃 emojis, the 👀 emoji is still a clever, subtle way to either share or react to an embarrassing moment.^[3]

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   Intrigue: The 👀 is an iconic way to let someone know that they have your full attention. Basically, if “spill the beans” had its own emoji, 👀 would be it.^[4]

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   Flirting: It’s pretty hard to scroll through Instagram or Twitter without seeing a lot of 👀 emojis floating around—especially on people’s selfies. The 👀 emoji is a friendly, flirty way of saying “I see you.”^[5]

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   Send 👀 as a reply to unbelievable news. Sure, you can drop a 😱 or 😲 in response to a surprising or exciting message, but it just doesn’t have the same curious, intrigued vibe as the 👀 emoji. Keep it simple with just 1 pair of 👀, or drop multiple emojis to really amp up the shock.^[6]

   • Them: “I just won $1,000 on a scratch ticket!”
     You: “👀👀👀”
   • Them: “My family’s adopting a puppy this Friday!”
     You: “👀”
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   Drop a 👀 to share or reply to an embarrassing or cringey moment. See some awkward PDA in the hall on your way to class? Vent about it a friend with the 👀 emoji. Did your bestie just text you about an embarrassing run-in with their crush? Shoot a few 👀 emojis to show that you’re all ears.^[7]

   • “Heard some weird noises coming from the bathroom 👀👀”
   • Friend: “Fell asleep in class and the teacher called on me 😩”
     You: “👀👀👀”
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   Brag about your sneaky, less-than-honest exploits. Steal out of the cookie jar? Spill some mustard on your sister’s favorite shirt? The 👀 is the perfect way to express all of your sneaky, dastardly deeds to your close friends.

   • “Got home an hour after curfew last night 👀”
   • “Skipped class to hang out with Jason and his friends 👀👀”
   • “Dan still hasn’t realized I’m mooching off his Netflix account 👀”
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   Force your friend to spill the juicy details. The 👀 emoji is the perfect response to vague, mysterious messages like “Guess what happened today?” or “The craziest thing happened this morning.” Send a few emojis to show that you’re all ears—or in this case, all eyes!

   • Them: “You’ll never guess who I saw at the grocery store yesterday.”
     You: “👀👀👀”
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   Let a friend know they’re looking good. Give the 🔥 emoji a break and show your interest with the 👀 emoji instead. Just be sure to keep the recipient in mind! This sly emoji works best with people you know well, like a best friend shooting you a selfie over Snapchat. A crush, random acquaintance, or perfect stranger might not be as comfortable with it.^[8]

   • Friend: “Check out my new cosplay!”
     You: “👀👀👀”

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   Laugh at cringey, embarrassing moments with 😂 or 🤣. Maybe your friend just shot you a text about how they walked in on someone in the bathroom, or how they accidentally said “love you” to their co-worker when hanging up the phone. Whatever the occasion, a 😂 or 🤣 can get the job done.

   • Them: “Just farted in class and I’m pretty sure everyone heard it 👀”
     You: “Hopefully it didn’t smell too bad 😂😂😂”
   • Them: “On cashier duty today, and I think I just checked out my first grade teacher… 👀”
     You: “Did they recognize you? 🤣🤣”
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   Convey your shock with 👀, 😲, or 🫢. Did someone just drop a bombshell in the group chat using the 👀 emoji? Drop a 👀, 😲, or 🫢 to show some jaw-dropping solidarity.

   • Them: “I’m in NYC and I think I just passed Hugh Jackman on the street 👀👀”
     You: “No way!! 😲😲 Give him my best, LOL”
   • Them: “Did you guys hear that Jeff and Kayla broke up? 👀”
     You: “Whaaa? But they’ve been dating forever 🫢👀”
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   Celebrate exciting news with 👏 or 🎉. A friend or loved one drops a bit of good news into the chat with a 👀 to keep things subtle. Who says that you have to keep things subtle, though? Send a friendly 👏 or 🎉 to let them know that you’re rooting for them.

   • Them: “So… my pregnancy test has 2 lines on it… 👀”
     You: “OMG congratulations!!! 🎉🎉🎉”
   • Them: “Guess who just got into UCLA 👀”
     You: Ahhh congrats!! I’m so proud of you 👏👏”

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   👁️: The 👁️ can serve as a replacement for the word “saw,” like “I 👁️ that shirt at the store yesterday” or “I 👁️ him at the movie theater.” You can also use it as a replacement for the word “eye,” like “I have an 👁️ doctor appointment tomorrow.”^[9] If you’re feeling extra playful, you might send a friend a couple of 👁️👁️ to say “I see you” or “I’m watching you.”

   • A popular spinoff of the 👁️ emoji is the “eyes with lips face,” or 👁️👄👁️. This emoji combo can represent a lot of different things, but it often means “it is what it is.”^[10]
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   👁‍🗨: The 👁‍🗨 emoji was created as part of an American Ad Council campaign called “I Am A Witness.” The 👁‍🗨 emoji’s design revolves around the importance of speaking up, and encourages students to speak up when they notice bullying happening around them.^[11] Over time, this emoji has come to represent speaking out against harassment in all its forms.^[12]

   • “Don’t be afraid to speak up. 👁‍🗨 Your voice matters!”
   • “If you see something, say something 👁‍🗨”
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   🧿: The 🧿 emoji represents the Nazar amulet, a special protective talisman that directly counteracts the “evil eye.”^[13] You can use it to add an extra layer of protection to a message or caption you’ve written about a special person in your life. Some people use 🧿 to express their well-wishes and hopes, too.^[14]

   • “My girlfriend means the entire world to me 🧿”
   • “Happy New Year! Wishing you all health and wealth in the coming year 🧿”
   • Since the Nazar amulet has a deep cultural history, emoji enthusiasts advise against using it as a meaningless, colorful addition to your photo captions and posts.

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