😓 Meaning: What does the demoralized face with sweat drops emoji mean?

The emoji 😓 expresses the discouragement, demoralization, and resignation. It is mainly used to say that one did one’s best but failed. Depending on the context, its meaning can also shift toward the’anxiety, the sadness or exhaustion, and the drop of sweat on the front lines reinforces this idea of cold sweat.

You can also find out more by clicking here are the 10 emojis that 9 out of 10 people misunderstand. And you, do you really know them?

To test your knowledge of emojis like 😓, you can take the quiz here :

😓: The meaning and use of the dejected face emoji with a drop of sweat

This emoji shows a yellow face with closed eyes and turned downward, without eyebrows, with a drooping mouth and a drop of sweat that trickles down your forehead. This emoji is usually associated with the same idea: you did your best, but it wasn't enough.

It is mainly used after a failure despite efforts : a failed exam, a missed deadline, a project that falls through, or a message left unanswered. The bead of sweat isn’t the result of physical exertion, but rather a cold sweat related to stress and anxiety.

Depending on the context, a dejected face with a tear can convey several different nuances:

• Discouragement and Disappointment : This is the most common way to use it—when you give up after trying your hardest but getting nowhere.
• Emotional exhaustion : After a never-ending day at work, you send 😓 to say you're drained—more tired than actually sad.
• Anxiety Before an Event : When facing a stressful exam or appointment, it expresses worry and apprehension about what is to come.
• Resignation : when you accept bad news without being able to do anything about it.

Here are a few concrete examples of how to use this emoji in a conversation:

1. I can't take it anymore 😓.
2. I give up—I'm exhausted, and yet I don't see any improvement 😓.
3. All my efforts have been for nothing 😓.
4. He let us down 😓.

Origin of this emoji

The emoji 😓 stems from a proposal submitted in 2007 at the Unicode Consortium (document L2/07-257), co-authored by Markus Scherer, Kat Momoi and Mark Davis. A second proposal followed in 2009 (document L2/09-026), led by the same team along with contributors from’Apple and of Google. These two documents were intended to incorporate emojis from Japanese mobile carriers into the standard, including this dejected face with a drop of sweat.

The smiley was approved in Unicode 6.0 in 2010, and then officially released in a version Emoji 1.0 on June 2, 2015. Its technical code is U+1F613, and its original Unicode name in English is Face with Cold Sweat, which clearly evokes the idea of cold sweat rather than physical exertion.

The characteristics of this emoji

L'emoji of a dejected face with a drop of sweat 😓 resembles other emojis that express sadness or worry. This is the case with the anxious face with a drop of sweat emoji 😰, of the sad-but-relieved emoji 😥 or even the crying emoji 😢. Each has its own nuance, and it's best to be aware of it to avoid misinterpreting a message.

Here's how to tell them apart in practice:

• 😓 discouraged : You did your best, but it wasn't enough. That drop of sweat reflects a inner discouragement, not physical exertion.
• 😰 anxious : a more panicked expression, conveying the fear or stress in light of upcoming events.
• 😥 Sad but relieved : a slight frown and a tiny tear rolling down the side of her face. That's the relief mixed with disappointment.
• 😢 crying : a real tear in the corner of the eye. We go from pent-up frustration to openly expressed sadness. The tears are clearly visible here, unlike 😓, which holds everything back while breaking out in a cold sweat.

Beyond these differences, this emoji has its own technical specifications:

When you see 😓 in a message or comment—even without a single word—you now know exactly what emotion the person is trying to convey.

You can also check out the Meaning of 😊, the emoji that conveys kindness and warmth—handy for lightening the mood in a somewhat sad conversation.

If you want to explore other emojis:

• Neutral face emoji 😐
• Smoking brain emoji 🤯
• Bored face emoji 😒