Shrug Kaomoji: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Copy and Paste
The shrug kaomoji means “I don’t know” or “oh well.” The classic is , built from a smiling ツ face and two raised arms. Below are 25+ shrug faces sorted by mood, plus the fix for the most common problem: the shrug losing its arm on Discord and Reddit.
Quick answer: copy for the classic shrug. On Discord, type /shrug to add it without errors. If your app keeps eating the backslash, use the arm-safe version . More moods are in our free kaomoji copy tool.
Shrug Kaomoji by Mood
Classic Shrugs
The familiar “who knows?” shrug and its closest relatives. They are relaxed and friendly, and they work in almost any casual chat.
| Kaomoji | Meaning | Best used when |
|---|---|---|
| The classic shrug: easygoing, “oh well” | You don’t know, or you’ve accepted something you can’t change | |
| A flat, slightly tired shrug | “Whatever you say” or “nothing I can do” | |
| A cheerful, carefree shrug | Shrugging off a small mistake with a smile |
Unbothered and Smug Shrugs
These shrugs say “not my problem” or “told you so.” Use them for playful teasing, since they can sound dismissive in a serious conversation.
| Kaomoji | Meaning | Best used when |
|---|---|---|
| A Lenny-face shrug: sly and mischievous | Joking that you know more than you’re saying | |
| A sheepish but unbothered shrug | When something silly happens and you just let it go | |
| A grumbling “meh” | Mild annoyance you can’t be bothered to argue about |
Confused Shrugs
Mismatched or wide eyes turn the shrug into genuine confusion: “I have no idea what’s going on.”
| Kaomoji | Meaning | Best used when |
|---|---|---|
| Puzzled, one eyebrow raised | Someone asks a question you can’t answer at all | |
| Blank, lost and wobbly | Instructions that make no sense | |
| Dazed and overwhelmed | Too much information at once |
Arm-Safe Shrugs (No Backslash Problems)
The classic shrug often breaks on Discord, Reddit and other Markdown apps. These versions avoid the underscore-backslash combination, so they stay intact almost everywhere.
| Kaomoji | Meaning | Best used when |
|---|---|---|
| The classic shrug without underscores | Discord, Reddit, Slack and comment boxes | |
| A compact shrug with box-drawing arms | Usernames, short replies and bios | |
| A loose, arms-up shrug | A breezy “eh, who cares” |
What Does ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Mean?
The shrug kaomoji is the text version of lifting your shoulders and hands. Depending on context it can mean “I don’t know,” “it is what it is,” “not my problem” or “oh well, never mind.”
The face in the middle is the Japanese katakana character ツ (pronounced “tsu”), which happens to look like a smiling face. The ¯ symbols are hands, and the \_ and _/ pairs are the arms. Because it reads clearly and fits in one line, it became one of the most widely used kaomoji in English-language chats and social media.
There is also a shrug emoji, 🤷, but many people still prefer the text version because it looks the same everywhere and feels more expressive.
Why the Shrug Loses Its Arm (and How to Fix It)
Apps that use Markdown, including Discord, Reddit and some note-taking tools, treat the backslash as a special “escape” character and the underscore as italic formatting. When you paste ¯\_(ツ)_/¯, the backslash disappears and the left arm turns into ¯_(ツ)_/¯, or the face turns italic.
- Discord: type /shrug. Discord adds a correctly formatted shrug to your message.
- Reddit and other Markdown apps: type ¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯. The extra backslashes tell the app to show each character as plain text.
- Anywhere: use an arm-safe version such as ¯\(ツ)/¯ or ┐(ツ)┌, which contain no underscores.
- Code blocks: wrapping the shrug in backticks shows it as code, which keeps every character but changes the font.
WhatsApp also uses _underscores_ for italics, so a shrug next to other underscores in the same message can change style. If that happens, send the shrug on its own line. See our Discord kaomoji and WhatsApp kaomoji guides for more.
When to Use a Shrug Kaomoji
- Honest “I don’t know”: a shrug softens an answer you can’t give, so it feels friendly instead of unhelpful.
- Letting something go: plans change, the store is closed, the game crashed. A shrug says you’re not upset.
- Light teasing: smug shrugs work as a playful “told you so” among friends.
- Be careful: when someone asks for help or shares a problem, a shrug can feel dismissive. Add real words, or skip it.
- Work chats: a single classic shrug is usually fine with teammates, but avoid it when answering clients or managers about something important.
How the Shrug Kaomoji Is Built
- Hands: ¯ is a macron, a small line used over vowels in some languages. It sits high, like raised hands.
- Arms: \_ and _/ form arms bent at the elbow. Box-drawing characters ┐ ┌ and ╮ ╭ are shorter alternatives.
- Face: ツ is the classic smiling face. Swap it for ￣ヘ￣ to look tired, °_o to look confused or ಠ_ಠ to look unimpressed.
To make your own, keep the arms ¯\_( )_/¯ and drop any face inside, such as ¯\_(◕‿◕)_/¯ for a happy shrug.
Shrug Kaomoji FAQ
How do I type the shrug emoticon?
Copy and paste it. On Discord, type /shrug. To use it often, save it as a text replacement shortcut such as ;shrug on your iPhone, Mac or Gboard keyboard.
What is the face in the middle of the shrug?
It is ツ, a Japanese katakana character pronounced “tsu.” It is not a special symbol; it is used because its shape looks like a small smiling face.
Why is my shrug missing an arm?
Markdown apps like Discord and Reddit treat the backslash as a formatting character and hide it. Use /shrug on Discord, type ¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯ elsewhere, or use an arm-safe version like ¯\(ツ)/¯.
Is the shrug kaomoji rude?
Not usually. It is mostly friendly and relaxed. It can seem dismissive if someone needs help or is upset, so add a few real words in serious conversations.
What is the difference between the shrug kaomoji and the shrug emoji?
The shrug emoji 🤷 is a single picture that looks different on each device. The kaomoji ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ is made of text characters, so it looks the same everywhere and can be edited, for example by swapping the face.
What does ┐(￣ヘ￣)┌ mean?
It is a tired or resigned shrug, like saying “whatever” or “nothing I can do about it.” It feels flatter and less cheerful than the classic ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.
When in Doubt, Shrug
Keep for everyday “oh well” moments and for apps that break the arm. For every other mood, open our free kaomoji copy tool.
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