skull and crossbones Emoji
☠️ · U+2620 U+FE0F · Emoji 1.0
What does the skull and crossbones emoji mean?
Meaning reviewed and updated July 2026 · Unicode data from the official Unicode Standard
A symbol of danger or death, the ☠️ emoji represents a skull and crossbones, often used to signify warning, poison, or toxicity. Figuratively, it can also represent a high level of risk or a potentially deadly situation. In slang usage, the ☠️ emoji is sometimes used to express that something is so bad or annoying it's "killing" the speaker, or to jokingly threaten someone. This emoji's meaning is often exaggerated or ironic, depending on the context in which it is used.
How the skull and crossbones emoji is used
Texting and social media platforms like Twitter and TikTok are common places to find the ☠️ emoji, where it is often used to add a touch of humor or whimsy to a message. The tone of the message can vary greatly, from serious warning to playful joking, and the emoji's meaning can be influenced by the platform's culture and the user's intent. Younger generations tend to use the ☠️ emoji in a more ironic or humorous way, while older generations may use it more literally to convey danger or warning. In comments and captions, the ☠️ emoji can add a layer of personality and tone to the text.
skull and crossbones emoji examples
- just ate a bad tuna sandwich ☠️
- this homework is ☠️ my social life
How to copy the skull and crossbones emoji
To use the skull and crossbones emoji, tap the Copy button above, then paste it (long-press then Paste on mobile, or Ctrl+V / Cmd+V on desktop) anywhere you can type: messages, captions, usernames, bios and documents. It copies the real Unicode character (U+2620 U+FE0F), so it works on every app and platform, no download needed.
More about skull and crossbones
Also known as
skull and crossbones emoji on different platforms
How the skull and crossbones emoji looks across emoji sets. These designs come from openly-licensed sets (Twemoji, Google Noto, OpenMoji). See image credits.



skull and crossbones Emoji Details
| Emoji | ☠️ |
| Name | skull and crossbones |
| Category | Smileys & Emotion |
| Codepoints | U+2620 U+FE0F |
| Shortcode | :skull_and_crossbones: |
| Emoji version | 1.0 |
| Unicode version | 1.0 |
skull and crossbones Emoji FAQ
A symbol of danger or death, the ☠️ emoji represents a skull and crossbones, often used to signify warning, poison, or toxicity. Figuratively, it can also represent a high level of risk or a potentially deadly situation.
Tap the Copy button at the top of this page, then paste ☠️ wherever you type. Because it copies the real Unicode character, it works in every app on iPhone, Android, Windows and Mac.
It is U+2620 U+FE0F, introduced in Emoji version 1.0 (Unicode 1.0). Its shortcode is :skull_and_crossbones:.
People also search for the skull and crossbones emoji as bone, crossbones, dead, death, face.