🧎
Person Kneeling
PUR-suhn NEEL-ing
Definitions
1
Gesture · Posture
Common
Represents a person kneeling on one or both knees, often showing respect, prayer, submission, or pleading. Used to convey humility, worship, or a formal request.
Commonly used in religious contexts, romantic proposals, or to express begging for something desired.
I'm going to 🧎 and propose to her tonight!
Text message
When times get tough, I find myself 🧎 in prayer more often.
Social media post
Me 🧎 begging my boss for a day off
Meme caption
Kneeling carries significant cultural weight across religions and social hierarchies, symbolizing deference to authority or divine power.
2
Expression · Metaphorical
Common
Used metaphorically to express admiration, devotion, or submission to someone or something. Indicates being a devoted fan or showing extreme respect.
Popular in stan culture to express extreme admiration for celebrities or content creators.
This new album has me 🧎 - absolute masterpiece!
Twitter/X
The way she handled that interview... we have no choice but to 🧎
Instagram comment
In digital culture, particularly among younger users, kneeling represents devotion to influencers, artists, or fandoms.
Evolution Timeline
2019
Introduced in Unicode 12.0 as a gender-neutral kneeling figure, with gendered variants.
Growing need for inclusive emoji representations of human postures.
2020
Gained popularity in stan culture to express extreme admiration or devotion to celebrities.
Evolution of online fan expression and parasocial relationships.
2021
Increasingly used in memes about begging or pleading for something desired.
Expansion into humorous contexts beyond literal kneeling.
Cultural Context
Kneeling is a universal posture of prayer and worship across many religions, including Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism, symbolizing humility before divine power.
The act of kneeling has historically represented submission to authority, from feudal homage to modern ceremonial contexts like knighthood.
In Western cultures, kneeling for marriage proposals dates back to medieval chivalric traditions, symbolizing devotion and service to one's beloved.
Kneeling as protest gained prominence with NFL players kneeling during the US national anthem, transforming a traditionally submissive posture into one of resistance.
Younger users have repurposed the kneeling emoji beyond its literal meaning to express extreme admiration in fan culture and online communities.
Regional Variations
United Kingdom
Associated with formal ceremonies like knighthood, royal protocols, and traditional marriage proposals.
United States
Often used in religious contexts, especially in evangelical Christian communities, and for marriage proposals.
Generational Usage
Gen_X: Primarily used literally to represent physical kneeling, prayer, or formal ceremonies like proposals.
Gen_Z: Frequently used to express being a 'stan' or devoted fan of celebrities, artists, or content creators. Often used metaphorically rather than literally.
Older: Limited usage, mostly in religious contexts or to describe actual kneeling postures in formal situations.
Millennials: Commonly used for marriage proposals, religious contexts, and increasingly adopting Gen Z's metaphorical usage in fan culture.
Common Combinations
🧎🙏
Praying while kneeling, showing deep religious devotion or desperate pleading.
Universal religious gesture across many faiths, particularly Christianity.
🧎💍
Marriage proposal, someone kneeling with a ring.
Traditional Western proposal gesture, widely recognized in romantic contexts.
🧎🏆
Showing deep respect or admiration for someone's achievement or talent.
Fan culture expression of admiration, particularly in sports and entertainment.
🧎😭
Begging or pleading while crying, often used humorously.
Common in meme culture to express desperate wanting or pleading.
🧎👑
Showing deference to royalty or someone considered superior or highly respected.
References historical customs of kneeling before monarchs or authority figures.