free-symbols
🥲

smiling face with tear Emoji

🥲 shows a mix of a smile and a tear for bittersweet or quietly disappointed feelings.

U+1F972

🥲 is the Smiling Face with Tear emoji, often used to communicate sadness that still feels gentle or restrained. It’s a popular choice when something is “not great,” but you want to keep the tone soft. Copy it easily for chats, captions, and UI text.

smiling face with tear Emoji Meaning

The Smiling Face with Tear (U+1F972) combines a smile with a tear, creating a bittersweet or quietly sad expression. People commonly use it when they feel disappointed but trying to stay positive, or when something is touching yet not fully joyful. It can also convey “I’m trying to be okay” feelings, or a gentle apology without going fully serious. In tone, it sits between a crying face and a smiling face—so it works well for empathy, minor setbacks, or emotional updates that don’t need to be dramatic.

Common uses

  • Replying with empathy when someone shares bad news
  • Acknowledging a minor disappointment while keeping a friendly tone
  • Reacting to bittersweet moments (goodbyes, missed chances, late replies)
  • Captions for “almost” wins, setbacks, or emotional updates
  • UI microcopy for soft failure states (e.g., “Something didn’t work—sorry!”)

Examples

🥲 Smiling Face with Tear

  • 🥲I can’t make it today 🥲
  • 🥲That was so close… 🥲
  • 🥲We finally finished, but I’ll miss everyone 🥲
  • 🥲Thanks for your help—I'm still upset 🥲
  • 🥲I wanted to reply sooner, but work got busy 🥲

Variations

Ready to copy

Technical codes

UnicodeU+1F972
HTML Entity🥲
HTML Code🥲
CSS\1F972
Decimal129394

How to type smiling face with tear Emoji (🥲)

On Windows

In Word, type 1F972 then press Alt + X. Or open the emoji picker with Windows key + period.

On Mac

Press Control + Command + Space to open Character Viewer and search for the character.

On Linux

Press Control + Shift + U, type 1f972, then press Enter or Space.

Anywhere

Copy 🥲 with the button above and paste it wherever you need it — this works on every device and in every app, with no keyboard shortcut to remember.

FAQ

What does 🥲 usually mean in a chat?

It most often means “bittersweet sadness” or “sad but trying to stay gentle,” such as feeling disappointed or touched in a soft way.

When should I use 🥲 instead of 😢 or 😭?

Use 🥲 when the feeling is more restrained or mixed with a smile. Use 😢/😭 for stronger crying or more intense sadness.

How do I copy 🥲 in HTML or CSS?

HTML: 🥲. CSS escape: \\1F972.

What are the Unicode details for this emoji?

Smiling Face with Tear has Unicode code point U+1F972 (Unicode name: SMILING FACE WITH TEAR).