emoticon
1 synonym for emoticon, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — A small symbol or picture built from text characters or a graphic, used to show feeling in a written message.
How to use emoticon
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
use an emoticon
add an emoticon
a smiley emoticon
a winking emoticon
An informal word, at home in texts, emails and chat rather than formal writing.
Etymology
Emoticon is a blend of the words emotion and icon. Despite the overlap in meaning, it is not related in origin to the word emoji.
Full origin of emoticon →Frequently asked questions
Is an emoticon the same as an emoji?
Not quite. An emoticon is traditionally built from text characters, while emoji are small pictures, and the two words are not related in origin even though both are used to show feeling.
What does the word emoticon actually mean?
It is a blend of emotion and icon, describing a symbol used to represent a feeling in writing.
Where are emoticons typically used?
They appear in text messages, emails and other electronic communication as a quick way to add emotion to a message.
