☠ skull and crossbones Emoji - Copy & Paste Free
skull and crossbonesEmoji
What Does the ☠ skull and crossbones Emoji Mean?
The skull and crossbones sets a white skull above two bones crossed in an X. The mark spent centuries as a warning stamped onto poison bottles, high-voltage panels, and pirate colors. That lineage still lends it menace, though chat has quietly repurposed it as a laughter signal, the sender claiming a joke finished them off. It lands somewhere between a threat and a punchline.
At a Glance
| Name | ☠ skull and crossbones |
|---|---|
| Unicode Codepoint | U+2620 |
| Category | Smileys & Emotion |
| Introduced | Unicode · iOS 9.1+ |
| Also Known As | skull_and_crossbones |
Last updated: September 2026
skull and crossbones on Different Platforms
This emoji may look different across platforms. Here is how skull and crossbones emoji appears on popular platforms:
Download this emoji as a free PNG image, no sign-up. The PNG link appears under the open-licensed sets (Google, Twitter/X and OpenMoji).
About skull and crossbones Emoji
Usage: People reach for ☠ to tag something toxic or genuinely dangerous, to set a pirate or Halloween mood, and to answer a savage joke or brutal roast: 'that reply killed me ☠'. Gamers attach it to hardcore runs and villain aesthetics, and it is a fixture of edgy captions, hazard labels, and metal-band posts.
The skull-and-crossbones character predates emoji: it entered Unicode 1.1 in 1993 as a plain warning glyph. It only gained a colourful emoji presentation in 2015 with Emoji 1.0. Its association with death goes back further still: memento mori art, apothecary poison marks, and the Jolly Roger flags of 18th-century pirates.
What Does the ☠ skull and crossbones Emoji Mean?
The ☠ emoji is part of the Smileys & Emotion category. It is commonly used in digital communication to visually represent skull and crossbones.
First introduced in Unicode , this emoji has become a staple in everyday messaging across platforms including iOS, Android, WhatsApp, and social media.
You may also find this emoji by searching for its alternative names: skull_and_crossbones.
Word Associations
People often pair the ☠ skull and crossbones emoji with these words and ideas:
skull and crossbones Emoji in Other Languages
How to say the ☠ skull and crossbones emoji name around the world:
| English | ☠skull and crossbones |
|---|---|
| Español | ☠calavera y huesos cruzados |
| Français | ☠crâne et os croisés |
| Deutsch | ☠Totenkopf mit gekreuzten Knochen |
| 日本語 | ☠ドクロマーク |
| 中文 | ☠骷髅和交叉骨 |
| हिन्दी | ☠खोपड़ी और हड्डियां |
| العربية | ☠جمجمة وعظمتان متقاطعتان |
Emoji names are based on the Unicode CLDR short names for each language.
When to Use ☠ skull and crossbones Emoji
- when discussing danger
- when discussing pirate
Platform Support
This emoji is supported on iOS 9.1+, Android, Windows, macOS, and all major social media platforms including WhatsApp, Twitter, Instagram, Discord, Facebook, and TikTok.
How to Copy ☠
Simply click the "Copy" button above to copy ☠ skull and crossbones emoji to your clipboard. You can then paste it anywhere - in text messages, social media posts, emails, or documents. Works on all devices and platforms!
Technical Details
Use these code snippets to add the ☠ skull and crossbones emoji in your projects:
U+2620☠☠content: '\2620';"\u{2620}""\U00002620""\u2620""\u2620""\u{2620}""\u{2620}"Use these codes to insert the skull and crossbones emoji in HTML, CSS, or JavaScript. Perfect for web developers and designers.
Related Smileys & Emotion Emojis
☠ skull and crossbones Emoji in Real Chats
Here's how people use the ☠ skull and crossbones emoji in everyday messages, captions and comments:
- “skull and crossbones? Say less ☠”: a quick reaction that works in any DM or group chat.
- “This is such a danger moment ☠”: perfect for texts, Stories and captions.
- “☠☠☠”: stack the skull and crossbones emoji for extra emphasis and vibes.
Guides worth reading
☠ Usage Examples
Here are some practical ways to use the ☠ skull and crossbones emoji in your messages:
- That comeback was so brutal I'm actually ☠
- Handle with care, the cleaning stuff under the sink is basically ☠
- Setting up the front porch full pirate this Halloween ☠
Frequently Asked Questions
Does ☠ mean poison or 'I'm dead laughing'?
Both, depending on context. Traditionally it warns of poison, death, or danger, but in casual texting it's become slang for laughing so hard you've 'died'. The surrounding tone usually makes clear which meaning applies.
How is ☠ different from the plain skull 💀?
☠ adds crossed bones and carries a heavier warning-label, pirate, and hazard connotation. The bare skull 💀 is more commonly used for the 'dead from laughing' joke, though the two often get swapped interchangeably online.
Why does ☠ sometimes look black-and-white?
It began as a plain text symbol in 1993 and only received a colour emoji look in 2015. On some apps or older systems it still renders as a monochrome outline rather than a full-colour icon.
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