What Does the 🤨 Face with Raised Eyebrow Emoji Mean?

Tips and examples to help you understand what the 🤨 emoji means and all of its uses

Co-authored by Glenn Carreau

Last Updated: November 21, 2022

What does the 🤨 emoji mean?

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Using the 🤨 Emoji

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Responding to the 🤨 Emoji

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Combinations with the 🤨 Emoji

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Memes & Characters Related to the 🤨 Emoji

Wondering how to interpret and incorporate the 🤨 (face with raised eyebrow) emoji in your texts? We’re here to help! This emoji is surprisingly versatile, so we’ve come up with a simple guide to walk you through each one. Keep reading this handy cheat sheet to learn about the 🤨 emoji’s meaning, how to use it in your messages, and how to respond properly.

Things You Should Know

The 🤨 (face with raised eyebrow) emoji represents skepticism, doubt, disapproval, wonder, and confusion.
Use the 🤨 (face with raised eyebrow) emoji to show someone you don’t agree with them. Alternatively, indicate that you’re unsure of something.
Respond to the 🤨 (face with raised eyebrow) emoji by offering the other person clarification or helping them make a decision if they’re confused.

Section 1 of 5:

What does the 🤨 emoji mean?

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The 🤨 emoji means doubt and skepticism. You’ll often see this emoji in texts where the other person is basically saying, “Really?” or “I don’t know about that.” The context can vary; the emoji implies sarcasm if you’ve been joking around but conveys genuine doubt if the conversation is serious.^{[1]
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- Person 1: “It’s time for me to run away and become a forest hermit. I can’t with this project!”
- Person 2: “Hmm. Well, if you’re sure. 🤨 Good luck, bud!”
- Person 1: “Gonna play a crazy joke on dad this April Fool’s day!”
- Person 2: “You sure he’ll get the joke? 🤨 I remember what happened last time…”
2
The 🤨 emoji also represents disapproval. If someone wants to say, “That’s a bad idea,” or “I don’t agree with you,” they might send the 🤨 emoji in place of writing the words directly. It communicates both disagreement and concern for someone’s troubling line of thinking.^{[2]
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- Person 1: “No sleep for me tonight! Going to pull an all-nighter and work.”
- Person 2: “That doesn’t seem like a super healthy idea. 🤨 Do you need some help?”
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A 🤨 represents thinking or deliberating. The 🤨 emoji essentially says, “I don’t know,” or “I’m considering it!” When you see this emoji while discussing plans with someone or asking for an opinion, you can assume they’re still making up their mind.^{[3]
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- Person 1: “Are you going to Andy’s party tonight?”
- Person 2: “IDK yet 🤨 Do you know how late it’s gonna go?”
- Person 1: “Did you like that book I loaned you?”
- Person 2: “Still figuring that out 🤨 It’s definitely thought-provoking, I’ll give you that!”
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The 🤨 conveys confusion or uncertainty. When someone is surprised by a question or simply doesn’t understand what the other person is talking about, they might use the 🤨 emoji in their text response. It conveys genuine puzzlement as well as a need for clarification.
- Person 1: “What’s the WiFi password?”
- Person 2: “Would LOVE to know that myself tbh 🤨”
- Person 1: “Did you hear about John?”
- Person 2: “No? Wait, did something happen?? 🤨”

Section 2 of 5:

Using the 🤨 Emoji

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Use the 🤨 to call someone out for lying. When you’re pretty sure that the person texting you is fibbing, and you want them to know they can’t fool you, include the 🤨 emoji in your text. It can be your way of skeptically saying, “I doubt that,” using an emoji.^{[4]
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- “Oh, really? 🤨”
- “I don’t know about that. I heard something different yesterday. 🤨”
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Disapprove of a bad idea with the 🤨 emoji. Include a 🤨 in your text if you want someone to know you disagree—whether their idea seems unsafe or they’re saying something that seems inappropriate. It can be helpful if you’re trying not to come on too strong and say, “That’s a terrible thought,” right out of the gate.
- “IDK if you should be biking before you get a helmet. 🤨 Can I give you a ride?”
- “That seems kinda harsh 🤨 Did your parents do something to upset you?”
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Use the 🤨 to doubt someone sarcastically. Your friend might text fib or suggest a bad idea while clearly joking around or phrase their text as a wild exaggeration. Include a 🤨 emoji to play along with the joke and show them you understand it simultaneously.
- Person 1: “I am 100% not exaggerating when I say that I’m the best Mario Kart player ever.”
- Person 2: “For SURE you are. 🤨 That 7th-place trophy you won last time we played was positively drool-worthy.”
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Send the 🤨 when you’re pondering an idea. If someone texts you with a question and you need a little more time to think your answer through, you can respond with the 🤨 emoji. Alternatively, use it when you ask a question to show someone you’re thinking and want a little input!
- “Ugh, I don’t know what I’m doing for Christmas yet. Still gotta think about it 🤨”
- “Do you think bangs would be a good look for me? 🤨”
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Type 🤨 to say, "I’m confused." If you don’t really get what someone is saying or need them to explain themselves more, send the 🤨 to convey your bafflement. You might use this when they ask a question that doesn’t make sense or ask for an answer that you don’t have.
- “I had no idea that Joe left. I’m as confused as you are! 🤨”
- “Wait, what do you mean? 🤨 I’ve never heard of that movie before.”

Section 3 of 5:

Responding to the 🤨 Emoji

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Clarify your meaning if they send a skeptical or concerned emoji. If you were trying to be genuine but the other person is expressing concern, disapproval, or doubt, you can always send a follow-up text to explain where you’re coming from. That way, even if they still disagree, you’ll be on the same page and avoid miscommunications.
- Person 2: “Oh really? 🤨”
- Person 1: “It’s okay, I’ve actually put a lot of thought into it. I’m just frustrated right now.”
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Share the other person’s disapproval or skepticism. On the other hand, if you’re both discussing something and feeling doubtful about it, feel free to say so—or match the other person’s 🤨 emoji with one of your own.
- Person 1: “My brother says he doesn’t need to study for his test 🤨”
- Person 2: “🤨🤨 Hmm. Gonna have to disagree with him on that one, lol.”
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Help the other person make a choice or work through their confusion. If your texting partner seems puzzled, they’d probably appreciate your input or clarification. Consider their question and do your best to either explain the situation or give them your thoughtful opinion to bring them closer to a decision.
- Person 1: “Pasta or pizza for dinner? 🤨”
- Person 2: “I mean, you were wishing for fettuccine alfredo just yesterday. Go with that!”
- Person 1: “Wait, were we supposed to meet up? 🤨”
- Person 2: “We made tentative plans a while ago, but it’s no big deal. Wanna make new plans right now? 😊”
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Give them time to plan and check in later if they express uncertainty. When you’re making plans with someone, and they use the 🤨 emoji to say they’re unsure about doing something, it’s best not to push for an answer. However, you can always wait a while and then follow up to see if they’ve made up their mind!
- Person 1: “So, do you know if you can come to the movies tomorrow yet?”
- Person 2: “Hey, yeah! It looks like I’ll be able to leave work a little early, like we talked about!”

Section 4 of 5:

Combinations with the 🤨 Emoji

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Pair up the emoji to describe your thoughts using only pictures. For example, instead of writing, “Should I get a haircut?” you could send a string of emojis that indicate you’re thinking about getting a haircut. Look for emojis that depict what you’re pondering and text combinations to your friends.
- Should I get a haircut? = 🤨💇?
- Should I have burgers or tacos? = 🍔🤨🌮?
- Want to play video games with me? = 🤨🎮🙋‍♀️?
- Should I take a nap? = 🤨😴🛌?
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Send the 🤨 emoji and the 🔎 (magnifying glass) to mimic a monocle. Monocles and magnifying glasses often evoke the image of a detective, so this is a handy combination when talking about an investigation or creating an air of mystery in the conversation.
- “Been searching for info all afternoon! 🤨🔎”
- “I need a closer look at that photo 🤨🔎”
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Match 🤨 with a 🔫 (water pistol) to jokingly say, “You want trouble?” When someone makes a friendly joke at your expense, you can pretend to intimidate them by sending a text with the 🔫 and 🤨 emojis. Using the 🔫 emoji, which depicts a simple water pistol, shows them you’re not actually upset or serious.
- “Wanna run that by me again, pal? 🔫🤨”
- “Ooh, those are fighting words. You want trouble?? 🔫🤨”

Section 5 of 5:

Memes & Characters Related to the 🤨 Emoji

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The emoji references a Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson meme. Actor and former wrestler Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has a famous look (which he calls “the people’s eyebrow”) featuring one raised eyebrow—much like the 🤨 emoji. Many people have compared The Rock to this emoji because of the similarity, or even called the 🤨 emoji “The Rock.”^{[5]
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- “Love me some Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson memes! 🤨”
- “How is The Rock legitimately super funny AND a wrestling legend? 🤨”
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The emoji is jokingly used to depict comedian Stephen Colbert. Similarly, Stephen Colbert’s eponymous character on The Colbert Report also had a signature look featuring one raised eyebrow. As a result, fans sometimes call the 🤨 emoji “Colbert” or compare it to his character.
- “I miss watching The Colbert Report. 🤨”
- “My favorite comedy news show ever? The Colbert Report. 🤨”