winking face with tongue

What does winking face with tongue mean?

The 😜 winking face with tongue emoji depicts a yellow smiley face with one eye closed in a playful wink, the other eye wide open, and its tongue sticking out of a grinning mouth. It universally signals that the sender is joking, acting silly, or playfully teasing the recipient. Because text messages lack vocal tone, this emoji acts as a crucial visual cue to ensure a sarcastic or cheeky remark isn't taken literally. In digital communication, you will frequently spot this emoji at the end of a sarcastic jab, a witty comeback, or a harmless flirtation. It softens the blow of a statement that might otherwise seem blunt or overly direct in plain text. Whether you are gently poking fun at a friend's minor mistake or sending a bold, flirtatious text to a crush, the winking face with tongue keeps the conversation lighthearted and approachable.

Slang & Modern Usage

In internet slang, 😜 is the ultimate digital "just kidding" tag. Millennials heavily popularized this emoji as a go-to reaction for cheeky banter and casual flirting. It often accompanies double entendres or slightly suggestive texts to indicate that the sender is testing the waters without fully committing. It essentially gives the sender plausible deniabilityβ€”if a joke or flirtatious comment lands poorly, the emoji proves it was all in good fun. Among Gen Z users, the 😜 emoji is sometimes viewed as slightly cheesy or characteristic of older internet habits, as younger demographics often prefer emojis like πŸ’€ (skull) or 😭 (loudly crying face) to convey extreme sarcasm. However, it still frequently appears in ironic memes, "shitposting," or when someone is purposefully leaning into a goofy, over-the-top flirtatious persona online.

Emoji Combos

Technical Information

Unicode U+1F61C
HTML Entity 😜
CSS \1F61C
JavaScript \u{1F61C}
Unicode Version Unicode 0.6
Status Fully-qualified

Shortcodes

github

:stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

discord

:stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

slack

:stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does the 😜 emoji mean?
It primarily means someone is joking, being sarcastic, or acting silly. It tells the recipient not to take the preceding message too seriously.
Is the 😜 emoji used for flirting?
Yes, it is frequently used to add a cheeky or playful tone to romantic or suggestive messages. It shows a sense of fun and approachability while keeping the pressure low.
What's the difference between 😜 and 😝?
The 😜 emoji has one eye open and one winking, making it feel more conversational, cheeky, or flirtatious. The 😝 emoji has both eyes squinched shut, conveying intense silliness, extreme laughter, or a playful "yuck" reaction.
How do I reply to the 😜 emoji?
You can match the playful energy by replying with another silly emoji like πŸ€ͺ, laugh along with πŸ˜‚, or send back a witty, teasing text of your own.