290 Ways to Show Emotion on IM

While IM can be a strictly text-based experience, emoticons are another way to convey emotion without having to use audio or video chat. Emoticons are text-based illustrations which offer expressions ranging from happiness to a broken heart. In some cases, an IM client will convert text-based emoticons to graphical emoticons stored in that client’s library.

The following directory contains a number of Western and Asian-style emoticons, in addition to a menu of options for different IM clients.

To create any of these emoticons, locate the symbols on your keyboard and enter them in the text field of your IM window. Remember, some symbols will require hitting the SHIFT key.

Western Emoticons

:) - happy

:-)

:^)

:]

:( - sad

;) - wink

:/ - doubtful/unsure

:P - sticking tongue out

:O - shocked/scream

:| - expressionless

:S - confused

<3 - heart/love

</3 - broken-hearted

B) - glasses

8)

:} - mustache

xD - laughing hard

xP - disgusted

X( - pouting/frustrated

:*( - crying

:3 - cute/cat-like

:-* - kiss on the cheek

>:O - angry/screaming

:X - sealed lips

0:) - angel/angelic

@)-v-- - rose

O--- - lollipop

Asian-Style Emoticons

(^_^) - happy

(‘_^) - wink

(>_<) - in pain

(<_>) - sad/depressed

(\_/) - angry

(-_-) - sigh

(._.) - depressed

(-_-) zzz - sleeping

(-.o) - black eye

(#_#) - beaten-up

(x_x) - dead

(@_@) - crazy/hypnotized

(o_O) - confused

($_$) - cha-ching!

(*_*) - star-struck

(O-O) - glasses/Harry Potter

<(‘o’<) - ghost

(>’o’)> - ghost

d^_^b - listening to music

t(o_o)t - flipping the bird

AIM Emoticons

Facebook Chat Emoticons

Google Talk Emoticons

Windows Live Messenger Emoticons

Yahoo! Messenger Emoticons

Secret Yahoo! Messenger Emoticons