You've been there. You're in a meeting or a quiet library, and someone sends a meme that is so objectively stupid yet hilarious that your ribs start to ache. You’re physically vibrating. Your face is doing that weird, contorted scrunched-up thing where your eyes are watering, but you absolutely cannot let a sound escape. When you finally go to text back, you look for the emoji trying not to laugh to signal your internal struggle. But here’s the thing: most people are actually using the wrong one.
The digital lexicon is messy. Since the first set of 176 emojis was released by Shigetaka Kurita for NTT DoCoMo in 1999, we’ve been projecting our own weird human subtexts onto these little yellow pixels. Honestly, the way we use them has less to do with their official names and everything to do with "internet vibes." If you look at the Unicode Standard—which is basically the supreme court of emojis—the one you think is "trying not to laugh" might actually be something else entirely.
The Great Identity Crisis of the Laughing Emoji
Most users gravitate toward the "Face With Tears of Joy" 😂 or the "Rolling on the Floor Laughing" 🤣 when they want to show they’re losing it. But those don't quite capture the resistance. Those emojis represent a total surrender to gravity and emotion. They aren't trying to hold anything back. They’ve already won.
If you’re looking for the specific energy of an emoji trying not to laugh, the "Grinning Face with Smiling Eyes" 😄 or even the "Grinning Squinting Face" 😆 comes closer to that high-pressure, eyes-shut-tight feeling. There’s a certain tension in those designs. The mouth is open, but the eyes are squeezed shut as if they're bracing for an impact. It's the visual equivalent of a teapot about to whistle.
Then there's the "Face with Hand Over Mouth" 🤭. This one is a bit of a shapeshifter. On Apple devices, it used to look quite serious with "smiling eyes," but since iOS 15.4, it’s more clearly giggling. This is the closest literal representation of someone physically stopping a laugh from escaping. It’s polite. It’s "I shouldn't be laughing at this, but I am." It’s the "oops" emoji of the comedy world.
Why We Care So Much About These Yellow Blobs
Communication is basically 70% non-verbal. When you take away tone of voice, body language, and the way someone’s eyebrows twitch, you're left with cold, hard text. That’s a recipe for a social disaster.
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The emoji trying not to laugh fills a very specific psychological niche called "humor suppression." We use it to signal that we’re in a situation where laughter is inappropriate, or that the joke was so "bad" it shouldn't be funny. It adds a layer of irony. According to linguist Gretchen McCulloch, author of Because Internet, emojis aren't just pictures; they're digital gestures. Using a "suppressed laugh" emoji is like a physical shrug or a wink in a text thread. It’s essential for maintaining face while admitting you’re amused.
The Gen Z Pivot and the Death of the Laugh-Cry
If you want to feel old, just use 😂. To younger users, specifically Gen Z and Gen Alpha, the standard "Face With Tears of Joy" is considered "cringe" or "boomer fuel." It’s become too mainstream. It’s what your aunt uses when she shares a Minion meme on Facebook.
Instead, the internet has repurposed the "Skull" emoji 💀 or the "Loudly Crying Face" 😭 to represent the emoji trying not to laugh.
Wait, why?
It’s hyperbole. "I’m dead." "I’m literally dying." The skull isn't about morbid fascination; it's the ultimate evolution of laughing so hard you've ceased to exist. When someone sends a skull in response to a joke, they are saying the humor was so potent they couldn't possibly survive it. It’s the ultimate expression of being defeated by laughter.
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A Look at the Technical Side: Unicode and Cross-Platform Woes
The Unicode Consortium doesn't just make these up on a whim. There’s a whole process. People submit proposals. There are debates about "interoperability." This is why an emoji trying not to laugh might look like a cute giggle on your iPhone but looks like a terrifying grimace on an old Samsung device or a weird blob on Windows.
Take the "Grimacing Face" 😬. On some platforms, it looks like a "yikes," but on others, it can pass for that awkward, teeth-clenched "I am trying so hard not to burst out laughing right now" expression. This fragmentation is why emoji-based misunderstandings happen constantly. You think you're being funny; they think you're mid-panic attack.
Real experts in digital semiotics—people like Jennifer Daniel, who chairs the Unicode Emoji Subcommittee—often point out that the intent of the sender matters more than the definition of the glyph. If your friend group decides that the "Potted Plant" emoji means "trying not to laugh," then for you, it does. But for the rest of the world, we’re stuck navigating the nuances of the yellow faces.
How to Choose the Right Vibe
It really depends on who you're talking to. Context is everything.
If you’re in a professional Slack channel and your work bestie says something snarky during a Zoom call, you probably want the "Face with Hand Over Mouth" 🤭. It’s safe. It’s recognizable. It says "I’m with you, but I’m being professional."
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If you’re in a group chat with friends and someone drops a legendary roast, go for the "Grinning Squinting Face" 😆 or the "Skull" 💀 if you want to stay relevant.
There's also the "Face Holding Back Tears" 🥹. While technically meant for being touched or moved by something, the watery eyes can easily double as "I’m laughing so hard I’m crying but I’m trying to keep it together." It’s a versatile little guy.
What Most People Get Wrong About Humor Emojis
The biggest mistake? Overthinking it.
People worry about "emoji etiquette" far more than they should. The reality is that emojis are evolutionary. They change. They're basically the slang of the 21st century. The emoji trying not to laugh you use today might be completely obsolete by next Tuesday.
Also, don't assume everyone sees what you see. Dark mode vs. light mode can change the "vibe" of an emoji significantly. A "Grinning Face" looks much more intense against a black background than a white one. It’s a weird quirk of digital design that we just have to live with.
The Future of the Suppressed Guffaw
We’re moving toward more customization. With Apple's Genmoji and various AI-driven stickers, the search for the perfect emoji trying not to laugh might eventually end with us just creating our own. You’ll be able to prompt an AI to "make a yellow face that looks like it’s holding in a sneeze and a laugh at the same time."
But until then, we’re stuck with the standard set. And honestly? That’s part of the fun. The limitation breeds creativity. We find ways to make these static images do heavy lifting for our complex, messy human emotions.
Actionable Next Steps
- Audit your "Frequently Used" section: If you see the "Face With Tears of Joy" 😂 at the top and you're under 30, it might be time to diversify your portfolio with a 💀 or a 😭 to stay "literate" in modern slang.
- Check cross-platform looks: If you’re sending a specific "suppressed laugh" emoji to someone on a different phone (Android to iOS or vice versa), use a site like Emojipedia to make sure it doesn't look like a completely different emotion on their end.
- Match the energy: Use the "Face with Hand Over Mouth" 🤭 for "polite" laughter and the "Grinning Squinting Face" 😆 for those "I'm about to burst" moments.
- Watch the eyes: When looking for a "trying not to laugh" vibe, prioritize emojis with squinted or closed eyes. They convey the physical tension of humor suppression much better than wide-eyed emojis.