Language · 2

Which symbol did Oxford Dictionaries name as its Word of the Year for 2015, marking the first time a pictograph won the title?

Answer

The 😂 (Face with Tears of Joy) emoji

Oxford Dictionaries chose the Face with Tears of Joy emoji as its 2015 Word of the Year because usage data showed it was the most-used emoji globally that year, breaking with the tradition of selecting an actual word.

💡 Did you know?

Oxford Dictionary's 2015 'Word of the Year' was 😂 (face with tears of joy)—the first time a pictograph, not a word, won globally.

Other options people guess

  • The 🙌 (Raised Hands) emoji
  • The ❤️ (Red Heart) emoji
  • The 💀 (Skull) emoji

Topics

  • emoji
  • oxford-dictionaries
  • word-of-the-year
  • pop-culture
  • digital-communication

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