uwu (emoticon)

uwu, also stylized as UwU, is an emoticon that denotes cuteness. The u is meant to represent eyes, while the w represents the mouth.[1][2]

Stylized uwu emoticon blushing

Usage

uwu is often used to denote cuteness, happiness, or tenderness.[2][3] uwu can also be used to be annoying, particularly with excessive usage.[4]

"uwu games" is a term used for wholesome and relaxed video games.[5]

History

uwu is known to date back as far as 2005, in an anime fanfiction. The origin of the word is unknown, with many people believing it to originate in internet chatrooms. By 2014, the emoticon had spread across the internet into Tumblr, becoming an internet subculture.[4]

The word uwu is in the Royal Spanish Academy's word observatory, defined as an "emoticon used to show happiness or tenderness".[3][6]

Notable uses

In 2018, the official Twitter account tweeted "uwu" in response to an artist on October 22, 2018.[7][8]

In 2020, the U.S. Army Esports Twitter account tweeted "uwu" in reply to a tweet by Discord.[9][10]

See also

References
  1. "uwu". Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House. Retrieved 2020-11-30.
  2. Turner, Amy-Mae (August 17, 2020). "What does 'uwu' mean?". The Daily Dot. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
  3. "uwu". Observatorio de palabras de la Real Academia Española (in Spanish). Retrieved November 30, 2020.
  4. Srinivasan, Janani Mangai (February 22, 2020). "The Origin and Spread of 'UWU' — The Word That Epitomizes Cuteness". Study Breaks. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
  5. Hoon Chan, Khee (March 10, 2020). "The rise of impossibly cute and wholesome games". The Verge. Vox Media. Archived from the original on December 5, 2020. Retrieved December 26, 2020.
  6. Mouse (2020-10-28). "La RAE aclaró las dudas boomers sobre "uwu"". La Tercera. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
  7. @Twitter (October 22, 2018). "uwu" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  8. Thomas, Miles (October 22, 2018). "Why Did the Official Twitter Account Tweet "uwu"???". Crunchyroll News. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
  9. @USArmyesports (June 30, 2020). "uwu" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  10. Gach, Ethan (July 11, 2020). "U.S. Army's Twitch Chat Banning People For Asking About War Crimes". Kotaku. Archived from the original on October 1, 2020. Retrieved December 26, 2020.
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