Passive-Aggressive Emoji

There's a special art to being passive-aggressive over text, and emoji are the sharpest tool in the drawer. A thumbs up after a long explanation? Devastating. A smiley face that clearly isn't happy? Chef's kiss. These emoji have all developed secondary meanings that range from "I'm annoyed but won't say it" to "I hope you can feel my disappointment through the screen."

This collection documents the emoji that have been weaponized by polite rage. Every single one looks innocent on the surface — that's what makes them effective. Your coworker who responds to your 500-word Slack message with just 👍 isn't being efficient. They're being savage. And they know it.

The best part about passive-aggressive emoji is plausible deniability. "What do you mean? I sent a smiley face!" Sure you did. We all know what that smiley face means when it arrives after someone just said something you disagree with. If you recognize yourself in this list, congratulations — you're fluent in the dark arts of digital communication.