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. [1] [2] It is used to express various warm, happy, or affectionate feelings.
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. [1] [2] It is used to express various warm, happy, or affectionate feelings.
The emoticon uwu is often used to denote cuteness ( kawaii ), happiness, or tenderness. [2] [3] Excessive usage of the emoticon can also have the intended effect of annoying its recipient. [4] It is popularly used in the furry fandom. [2] [5]
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?"). [2] [6] owo gained popularity in 2018; [5] as opposed to uwu, the o characters represent open eyes. [5] It is also sometimes used for trolling. [7]
The OwO variant was found inscribed on one of the unfired bullets in the investigation of the killing of Charlie Kirk on September 10, 2025. [8]
Another variant, TwT, is often used to symbolize crying, with each T representing a closed eye with tears streaming down. [9]
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). [10] 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. [4]
The word uwu is included in the Royal Spanish Academy's word observatory, [a] defined as an "emoticon used to show happiness or tenderness". [3] [12]
