🧍
Person Standing
PUR-suhn STAND-ing
Definitions
1
People · Posture
Common
A person standing upright in a neutral, stationary position. Used to represent waiting, standing in line, or being physically present in a situation.
Often used to indicate waiting, standing by, or simply being present without taking action.
Been 🧍 in this queue for 30 minutes now...
Text message about waiting in line
Me 🧍 watching everyone else having fun at the party
Social media caption
Represents a passive state, often contrasted with more active emojis to show inaction or patience.
2
Social · Expression
Common
Used metaphorically to express feeling awkward, left out, or unsure what to do in a social situation.
Popular among younger users to express social discomfort or feeling excluded.
When your friend starts arguing with their parents and you're just 🧍
Social media meme
Teacher called on me and my mind went blank so I just 🧍
Text message about school
Has evolved to represent social awkwardness beyond its literal meaning of standing.
Evolution Timeline
2019
Introduced in Unicode 12.0 as a gender-neutral standing figure.
Push for more inclusive, gender-neutral emoji options.
2020
Gained popularity as a way to express feeling awkward or left out in social situations.
Social media meme culture during pandemic isolation.
2021
Became widely used on TikTok to express being a bystander or feeling socially awkward.
TikTok trends featuring relatable awkward situations.
Cultural Context
Represents the universal human experience of waiting and the social dynamics of queuing, which vary significantly across cultures.
Younger users have repurposed this emoji beyond its literal meaning to express social awkwardness, feeling left out, or being a passive observer.
Part of Unicode's effort to create more gender-inclusive emoji options, with variants available for male, female, and gender-neutral representations.
Regional Variations
United Kingdom
Frequently used to express the quintessentially British experience of queuing.
United States
Commonly used in meme culture to express awkwardness or being a 'third wheel'.
Generational Usage
Gen_X: Primarily used in literal contexts about physical standing or waiting. Less likely to use for emotional expression.
Gen_Z: Heavily used to express feeling awkward, left out, or like a third wheel. Common in memes and TikTok content about social discomfort.
Older: Limited usage, mostly literal when describing physical activities or location.
Millennials: Used more literally to indicate waiting or standing in line. Sometimes used in work contexts to show being ready but inactive.
Common Combinations
🧍⏰
Waiting for a long time, often impatiently.
Used to express frustration with waiting or delays.
🧍🚶
Transition from waiting to moving, or hesitation before action.
Represents indecision or finally taking action after waiting.
🧍💭
Standing while deep in thought or daydreaming.
Depicts contemplation or being lost in thought while physically present.
🧍🧍🧍
People waiting in line or queue.
Universal symbol for queuing, particularly resonant in British culture.