Emojion👺 goblin
Meaning
Depicting a tengu from Japanese mythology, this emoji covers anger, mischief, and evil. In Japan it also doubles as a jab at conceit (tengu ni naru = to get a big head), while in the West it's often paired with the viral 'goblin mode' slang for unapologetic laziness.
Keywords: angry, creature, face, fairy, fairytale, fantasy, mask, mean, monster, tale
How it's used around the world
JapanBecause 'tengu ni naru' (becoming a tengu) means getting conceited in Japanese, the emoji is often used to tease someone for being full of themselves — a nuance rooted in Noh and Kabuki theater mask imagery.
United StatesPrimarily used for trolling and mischief, and since 2022 commonly paired with 'goblin mode' — Oxford's Word of the Year for unapologetically lazy, self-indulgent behavior.
💡 Did you know?
Overseas 👺 is treated as a villain or monster — but it depicts the Japanese tengu. From the idiom "to become a tengu" (to get conceited), Japanese chats use it to mean someone is being arrogant or bossy.
💡 Did you know?
The tengu is said to appear in Japan's Nihon Shoki (720 CE), giving it over 1,300 years of recorded history. Its signature long nose and red face are thought to have developed through association with mountain ascetics called yamabushi.
💡 Did you know?
For Japanese speakers, attaching 👺 to a boast signals self-aware cockiness — 'I know I'm being a tengu right now.' Western readers miss the joke entirely, seeing only a generic monster face, because the 'tengu = conceit' idiom doesn't cross cultural lines.
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