The devil emoji 😈 is officially called Smiling Face with Horns. It's a purple face with horns and a cheeky grin, and Emojipedia says it conveys mischief, naughtiness, excitement or excellence, like calling something 'wicked'. Dictionary.com adds that it can mean trouble, pranks, a rebellious streak or sexual innuendo. The grin is what makes it playful.
This little purple face does a lot of work. It shows up on Halloween posts, sports team brags, prank plans and late-night flirting. Here's how to tell which one you're looking at, and why it's not the same as its angry twin.
The smiling devil and the angry devil
There are two horned faces on your keyboard. Emojipedia describes 😈 as a purple face with devil horns, a wide grin, and eyes and eyebrows scrunched downward like the angry face. It says 😈 is more playful and suggestive than 👿, the Angry Face with Horns, which frowns instead of grinning.
Unicode's emoji-test file places them side by side: 😈 is U+1F608 in the face-negative group, and 👿 comes straight after it. So if you mean fun, pick the smile. If you mean you're furious, the frown says it.
What 😈 looks like across platforms
Dictionary.com says that on most platforms it's a purple face, though Microsoft still shows a red-faced devil. Google and Samsung also used red until they brought their designs closer to Apple's smiling devil in 2017. Emojipedia adds that Facebook's version has distinct black horns and green eyes, Google's older one once wore a frown, and Samsung's had a sharp snaggletooth.
Emojipedia says it was approved as part of Unicode 6.0 in 2010 and added to Emoji 1.0 in 2015. Dictionary.com says it's commonly called the Devil or Happy Devil emoji.
Five ways people use 😈
| Use | Example | Tone |
|---|---|---|
| Mischief and pranks | Swapped his sugar for salt 😈 | Playful |
| Halloween and devil characters | Costume sorted 😈 | Literal |
| Sports and confidence | Top of the league 😈 | Brag |
| Bad-boy or bad-girl attitude | From good boy to bad boy 😈 | Rebellious |
| Flirting | You have no idea what I'm thinking 😈 | Suggestive |
Mischief, pranks and trouble
Dictionary.com says devils are associated with mischief and making trouble, so the emoji is there for pranksters and people who aren't messing around. Its example is a traveller spotting a security code on a friend's boarding pass photo and adding four devils, which is exactly the energy of a friend about to tease you.
It's the emoji version of rubbing your hands together. You'll often see it next to the smirk when someone's planning something.
Wicked in the good sense
Emojipedia includes a meaning people forget: excellence, in the slang sense of 'bad' or 'wicked'. Dictionary.com points out it can show a devil-may-care, rebellious spirit or self-confidence, and gives the example of a team celebrating being number one in its conference. So 😈 after a win means 'we're dangerous', in the best way.
The naughty meaning
Then there's the flirty use. Dictionary.com says it can suggest sexual innuendo and that people use it to express how sexy or playful they're feeling. Emojipedia calls it more suggestive than the angry devil. In a late-night chat, 😈 usually means someone's being cheeky on purpose. With colleagues or clients, I'd leave it out entirely.
A quick tip: the same 😈 can read very differently depending on age. Teenagers often use it for a cheeky joke or a sports brag, while adults are more likely to read innuendo into it. If you're messaging a mixed group, add words that make the mood obvious.
Halloween, mascots and TV devils
Dictionary.com says it's often used in place of the word devil, especially around Halloween, for sports mascots and for fictional characters. It quotes a fan campaign asking for another season of the TV show Lucifer, punctuated with 😈. If you're planning a spooky night in, my roundup of Halloween party games has plenty of ideas, and the skull emoji is its natural partner in a costume caption.
Where the word devil comes from
Merriam-Webster dates devil to before the 12th century, and both it and Wiktionary trace it back to the Greek diábolos. Merriam-Webster notes the Greek adjective meant 'slanderous' or 'backbiting', so the earliest sense was closer to an accuser than a horned creature. Wiktionary says the Old English word probably came in through Latin diabolus.
English has kept a lot of devilish phrases. Wiktionary lists 'speak of the devil', said when someone you're talking about walks in, and uses like 'poor devil' and 'lucky devil' for a person. It also records the dust devil, a small whirlwind, and the Tasmanian devil, a very real animal.
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How to reply to a 😈
It depends what came before it. If a friend has just told you their prank plan, a laughing face or another 😈 says you're in. If a team-mate posts it after a win, a fire emoji or 'let's go' matches the mood. If someone you're flirting with sends it, you'll know whether you want to turn the heat up or keep it light with a laughing reply.
If you're not sure what someone means by it, it's fine to ask. 'Mischief or flirting? 😂' is a perfectly good response, and it usually gets an honest answer.
Before you send a symbol you are unsure about, the ghost emoji guide is worth a look.
Is 😈 offensive?
Rarely. Most people read it as playful. It can feel off in serious or religious conversations, and it's not ideal in a professional context because of the flirty meaning. For brands, it works for Halloween, gaming, spicy food and anything with a mischievous voice.
Emoji meanings shift over time, and the clown emoji guide traces one of them.
Frequently asked questions
What does 😈 mean from a guy or a girl?
Usually mischief or flirting. Dictionary.com says it can suggest sexual innuendo in the right context.
What's the difference between 😈 and 👿?
😈 grins and is playful; Emojipedia says 👿 is the angrier, less playful version.
What is the devil emoji officially called?
Smiling Face with Horns. Dictionary.com says it's commonly called the Devil or Happy Devil emoji.
When was the devil emoji added?
Emojipedia says it was approved in Unicode 6.0 in 2010 and added to Emoji 1.0 in 2015.
Why is the devil emoji purple?
Most platforms draw it purple; Dictionary.com says Microsoft still shows a red-faced devil.
Can 😈 mean something is good?
Yes. Emojipedia says it can mean excellence, like calling something wicked.
