Are you using Britain’s most annoying emoji?

Words could be making a comeback – even if it is only to say ‘thanks’ or ‘OK’. Over a fifth (22%) of 2,800 survey respondents find the thumbs-up 👍 Britain’s most irritating emoji – showing most prefer a written reply to this annoying A-OK symbol.

Emoji-like pictures first appeared in Japan in the 1980s-90s, according to Emojipedia editor-in-chief Keith Broni. However, the Emojiguide says the original thumbs-up emoji wasn’t introduced until 2010, in Unicode 6.0.

Sixteen years on, the Brits have had enough of emojis. Many view the 👍 as blunt, lazy and a little rude, with 53% of poll respondents tired of getting a thumbs-up in place of replies.

Harriet Scott of Perspectus Global said: “Emojis like the eyes 👀, thinking face 🤔, or even the drooling face 🤤 can mean very different things depending on who’s reading them. What’s playful to one person can feel confusing or irritating to another. There’s a real generational gap – and it’s changing how we communicate every day.”

Other reasons to avoid the thumbs-up

Emojis don’t just read differently – they shift with context. This, along with other reasons, makes avoiding the thumbs-up in corporate communications essential.

  • You might alienate any Gen Z (born in the late 1990s-2010s) in your audience, who may consider it passive-aggressive, according to The Conversation.
  • If you work for a global organisation, remember that 👍 is considered rude or obscene in regions like the Middle East and Southern Europe. Indeed, you also want to avoid the OK sign 👌 in certain countries, Regus explains.
  • It might unintentionally confirm a contract. In 2024, Saskatchewan’s Court of Appeal ruled that a thumbs-up emoji was sufficient to constitute consent to a contract, CBC News in Canada reported.
  • Since many recipients find emojis lazy, you’ll sound more professional by taking a moment to write ‘thanks’ or clarify your meaning, business consultant Sue Ellson told FeMail.

Confession: I’ve been guilty of sending a thumbs-up more times than I’d like to admit. Never again!

A hand in the thumbs-down position in front of a screen of emojis with the cursor on the thumbs-up

Brits give a thumbs-down to the annoying thumbs-up emoji

The 20 most annoying emojis

The thumbs-up topped the poll of Britain’s most annoying emojis, but the aubergine (eggplant) wasn’t far behind at 21%, just ahead of the dancing woman at 20%.

  1. Thumbs up 👍 — 22%
  2. Eggplant 🍆 — 21%
  3. Dancing woman 💃 — 20%
  4. Poo 💩 — 18%
  5. Face with cowboy hat 🤠 — 14%
  6. Check mark ✔️ — 13%
  7. Face with party hat and blower 🥳 — 13%
  8. Person shrugging 🤷 — 13%
  9. Zany face 🤪 — 12%
  10. Clown face 🤡 — 12%
  11. OK hand 👌 — 12%
  12. Grimacing face 😬 — 9%
  13. Flexed biceps 💪 — 9%
  14. Loudly crying face 😭 — 8%
  15. Face screaming in fear 😱 — 8%
  16. Party popper 🎉 — 6%
  17. Smiling face with heart eyes 😍 — 5%
  18. Eyes 👀 — 4%
  19. Thinking face 🤔 — 3.5%
  20. Drooling face 🤤 — 3%

It’s far too easy to click on the emoji button when replying to an email. So, if your brand speaks to a global audience, ask yourself whether the recipient will know what it means – before you click.