Downcast face with sweat is the universal “oof, that was close” meets “I’m trying my best, please don’t look at me” vibe. It covers everything from sending a risky text and watching the typing bubbles to barely making a deadline, embarrassing slip-ups, or that awkward apology after autocorrect betrays you. It’s also used ironically for tiny inconveniences—like surviving a mildly spicy chip or small talk with your barista—because drama makes the internet go round. Think Jordan Peele sweating meme meets classic anime sweat-drop energy.
On Apple/iOS, it’s a glossy yellow face seen straight-on with soft shading, downturned closed eyes, a faint frown, and one big blue sweat bead clinging to the left temple with a little shine. Those curved inner-tilting brows and the single droplet are the instant tells: not full-on panic, just politely stressed and emotionally damp. People drop it in captions after near-misses (“phew!”), post-gym selfies, study-cram updates, and “almost sent that to the group chat” confessions. Compared to its wide-eyed cousin 😰, this one looks more tired-embarrassed than terrified, perfect for “nervous but coping.”
Definition
A face with slight frown, closed eyes and drop of cold sweat. Things are not good. The stress has become too much and has lead to full blown diaphoresis. This emoji is in desperate need of medical attention.
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Emoji History The emoji code/ image log of changes.
This emoji was part of the proprietary / non-standardized emoji set first introduced by Japanese carriers like Softbank. These emojis became part of the Apple iPhone starting in iOS 2.2 as an unlockable feature on handsets sold in English speaking countries.
In iOS 5 / OSX 10.7, the underlying code that the Apple OS generates for this emoji was changed.
