UwU

File:Stylized uwu emoticon.svg

Stylized uwu emoticon as a blushing face

uwu (/ˈuːwuː/ ), also stylized UwU, is an emoticon representing a cute face. The u characters represent closed eyes, while the w represents a cat mouth.<ref name="dictionary.com"></ref><ref name="dailydot"></ref> It is used to express various warm, happy, or affectionate feelings.

Usage and variants

The emoticon uwu is often used to denote cuteness (kawaii), happiness, or tenderness.<ref name="dailydot" /><ref name="rae" /> Excessive usage of the emoticon can also have the intended effect of annoying its recipient.<ref name="studybreaks" /> It is popularly used in the furry fandom.<ref name="dailydot" /><ref name=grammarbrain/>

OwO

The emoticon also has a more surprised and sometimes allusive variant, owo (also stylized OwO; /ˈoʊwoʊ/ ; also associated with the furry fandom) that may also denote cuteness, as well as curiosity and perplexion (often the response "what's this?").<ref name="dailydot" /><ref></ref> owo gained popularity in 2018;<ref name="grammarbrain"></ref> as opposed to uwu, the o characters represent open eyes.<ref name="grammarbrain" /> It is also sometimes used for trolling.<ref></ref>

The OwO variant was found inscribed on the used bullet in the investigation of the assassination of Charlie Kirk on September 10, 2025.<ref name="Nguyen-2025"></ref>

TwT

Another variant, TwT, is often used to symbolize crying, with each T representing a closed eye with tears streaming down.<ref></ref>

History

The emoticon uwu is known to date back as far as April 11, 2000, when it was used by furry artist Ghislain Deslierres in a post on the furry art site VCL (Vixen Controlled Library).<ref></ref> A 2005 anime fanfiction contained another early use of the word. The origin of the term is unknown, with many people believing it to originate in Internet chat rooms. By 2014, the emoticon had spread across the Internet into Tumblr, becoming an Internet subculture.<ref name="studybreaks"></ref>

The word uwu is included in the Royal Spanish Academy's word observatory,Template:Efn defined as an "emoticon used to show happiness or tenderness".<ref name="rae"></ref><ref></ref>

See also

• List of emoticons

External links

• Template:Know Your Meme