noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Canada, US:/ɪˈmoʊtəˌkɑn/
Canada, US:/əˈmoʊtəˌkɑn/
Received-Pronunciation:/ɪˈməʊtɪˌkɒn/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:AH0 M OW1 T AH0 K AA2 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A graphical representation of a particular emotion of the writer, used especially in SMS, email, or other electronic communication.
A graphic made up of text characters to represent such emotion; a smiley.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A graphical representation of a particular emotion of the writer, used especially in SMS, email, or other electronic communication.
An image or graphic icon used to represent such emotions; an emoji.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
a representation of a facial expression (as a smile or frown) created by typing a sequence of characters in sending email
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
:-( and :-) are emoticons
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: facial expression, facial gesture
Narrower terms: smiley
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h1éǵh Proto-Indo-European *-s Proto-Indo-European *h1éǵhs Proto-Italic *eks Latin ex Latin ex- Proto-Indo-European *m(y)ewh1- Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *-éyeti Proto-Indo-European *m(y)owh1éyetider. Proto-Italic *moweō Latin moveō Latin ēmoveō Vulgar Latin *exmovēre Old French esmovoir Middle French esmouvoir Middle French emotionbor. English emotion Ancient Greek εἰκών (eikṓn)der. Latin īcōnbor. English icon blend English emoticon Blend of emotion + icon. Unrelated to emoji.
Across languages
Translations
54 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Armenian:
սմայլիկ
(smaylik)
— representation of an emotion of the writer
Armenian:
զմայլիկ
(zmaylik)
— representation of an emotion of the writer
Catalan:
emoticona
— representation of an emotion of the writer
Chinese Mandarin:
表情符號 /表情符号
(biǎoqíng fúhào)
— representation of an emotion of the writer
Danish:
emotikon
— representation of an emotion of the writer
Danish:
smiley
— representation of an emotion of the writer
Dutch:
emoticon
— representation of an emotion of the writer
Esperanto:
miensimbolo
— representation of an emotion of the writer
Finnish:
hymiö
— representation of an emotion of the writer
French:
émoticône
— representation of an emotion of the writer
French:
émoticone
— representation of an emotion of the writer
French:
binette
— representation of an emotion of the writer
French:
frimousse
— representation of an emotion of the writer
Galician:
emoticona
— representation of an emotion of the writer
Georgian:
სიცილაკი
(sicilaḳi)
— representation of an emotion of the writer
German:
Emoticon
— representation of an emotion of the writer
Hebrew:
רִגְשׁוֹן
(rigshón)
— representation of an emotion of the writer
Hebrew:
פַּרְצוּפוֹן
(partsufón)
— representation of an emotion of the writer
Hungarian:
emotikon
— representation of an emotion of the writer
Hungarian:
hangulatjel
— representation of an emotion of the writer
Indonesian:
emotikon
— representation of an emotion of the writer
Irish:
straoiseog
— representation of an emotion of the writer
Italian:
faccina
— representation of an emotion of the writer
Japanese:
エモティコン
(emotikon)
— representation of an emotion of the writer
Japanese:
顔文字
(kaomoji)
— representation of an emotion of the writer
Japanese:
絵文字
(emoji)
— representation of an emotion of the writer
Kazakh:
күлегеш
(külegeş)
— representation of an emotion of the writer
Kazakh:
өңтаңба
(öñtañba)
— representation of an emotion of the writer
Kazakh:
эмотикон
(émotikon)
— representation of an emotion of the writer
Korean:
이모티콘
(imotikon)
— representation of an emotion of the writer
Korean:
통보문그림기호
(tongbomun'geurimgiho)
— representation of an emotion of the writer
Ligurian:
facìn
— representation of an emotion of the writer
Ligurian:
morìn
— representation of an emotion of the writer
Māori:
tohukare
— representation of an emotion of the writer
Persian:
شکلک
(šeklak)
— representation of an emotion of the writer
Polish:
emotikona
— representation of an emotion of the writer
Polish:
emotikon
— representation of an emotion of the writer
Polish:
emotka
— representation of an emotion of the writer
Portuguese:
emoticon
— representation of an emotion of the writer
Romanian:
emoticon
— representation of an emotion of the writer
Russian:
сма́йлик
(smájlik)
— representation of an emotion of the writer
Russian:
эмотико́н
(emotikón)
— representation of an emotion of the writer
Russian:
смайл
(smajl)
— representation of an emotion of the writer
Serbo-Croatian:
emotikon
— representation of an emotion of the writer
Slovene:
smeško
— representation of an emotion of the writer
Slovene:
čustvenček
— representation of an emotion of the writer
Spanish:
emoticón
— representation of an emotion of the writer
Spanish:
emoticono
— representation of an emotion of the writer
Spanish:
emoticon
— representation of an emotion of the writer
Spanish:
emotícono
— representation of an emotion of the writer
Swedish:
smilis
— representation of an emotion of the writer
Swedish:
smilgubbe
— representation of an emotion of the writer
Swedish:
smajlis
— representation of an emotion of the writer
Swedish:
emotikon
— representation of an emotion of the writer
