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Cringe emojis in the workplace

7 emojis carry the “Cringe” tag. Here is what each one means to Boomers, Millennials, and Gen Z — and how risky it is to send at work.

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Risk 2/10iScores 1–10 evaluate the likelihood of HR friction or legal liability based on employment litigation trends and sociolinguistic drift. Click here to read the full methodology.

Rolling on the Floor Laughing

Boomer / Gen X
Hysterical laughter; extremely funny.
Millennial
Reserved for extreme hilarity, slightly aggressive laughter.
Gen Z
Boomer humor marker; actively avoided in peer-to-peer communication.
OutdatedCringe
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Risk 2/10iScores 1–10 evaluate the likelihood of HR friction or legal liability based on employment litigation trends and sociolinguistic drift. Click here to read the full methodology.

Squinting Face with Tongue

Boomer / Gen X
Extreme silliness or reacting to a funny joke.
Millennial
Playful teasing or indicating a joke is incredibly funny.
Gen Z
Considered incredibly cringe; reminiscent of 2012 internet culture.
CringeOutdated
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Risk 5/10iScores 1–10 evaluate the likelihood of HR friction or legal liability based on employment litigation trends and sociolinguistic drift. Click here to read the full methodology.

Winking Face with Tongue

Boomer / Gen X
Joking, flirting, or being mischievous.
Millennial
Playful banter, sometimes carrying mild sexual undertones.
Gen Z
Completely obsolete; associated with out-of-touch digital communication.
FlirtyCringe
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Risk 3/10iScores 1–10 evaluate the likelihood of HR friction or legal liability based on employment litigation trends and sociolinguistic drift. Click here to read the full methodology.

Confounded Face

Boomer / Gen X
Physical pain, disgust, or intense frustration.
Millennial
Screaming internally, extreme cringe at a past memory.
Gen Z
Cringing hard at someone else's embarrassing behavior.
Cringe
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Risk 3/10iScores 1–10 evaluate the likelihood of HR friction or legal liability based on employment litigation trends and sociolinguistic drift. Click here to read the full methodology.

Grimacing Face

Boomer / Gen X
Awkwardness, mistakes, or physical pain.
Millennial
'Yikes'; extreme social awkwardness or secondhand cringe.
Gen Z
The physical embodiment of the word 'oof'; extreme discomfort.
AwkwardCringe
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Risk 2/10iScores 1–10 evaluate the likelihood of HR friction or legal liability based on employment litigation trends and sociolinguistic drift. Click here to read the full methodology.

Cat with Tears of Joy

Boomer / Gen X
Finding something funny (cat version).
Millennial
Quirky alternative to the human tears of joy for pet owners.
Gen Z
Cringe; associated with 'Facebook moms.'
CringeOutdated
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Risk 2/10iScores 1–10 evaluate the likelihood of HR friction or legal liability based on employment litigation trends and sociolinguistic drift. Click here to read the full methodology.

Hundred Points

Boomer / Gen X
'Good job!', perfect score, or 100%.
Millennial
Motivation, emphasis, or 'keep it real.'
Gen Z
Cringe; gives off try-hard vibes or toxic hustle culture.
CringeOutdated