👀 Eyes Emoji
what it means
Conveys interest, suspicion or gossip depending on context. It's the written equivalent of a raised eyebrow, and works with no text at all.
I'm watching this, and I have thoughts I'm not saying out loud.
the origin story
Added to Unicode in 2010; its knowing, suggestive use spread through Twitter in the mid-2010s.
It became the standard low-effort way to signal that you've noticed something without commenting. Brands use it to tease announcements, and comment sections use it to imply gossip — the same two eyes doing very different work.
in the wild
Something's coming next week 👀
Tell us now.
They arrived at the party together.
👀
how to use it
- Signalling interest or suspicion
- Teasing news without details
- Implying gossip lightly
- Where insinuation would be unfair to someone
- Professionally, unless the tone is very informal
- As a substitute for actually saying what you noticed
related terms
receipts
Community feedback
keep scrolling
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