The hear-no-evil monkey emoji 🙉 shows a monkey covering both ears with its hands, meaning "I'm not listening." People use it to ignore gossip, shut out bad news, playfully refuse advice, or pretend they didn't hear something. It is one half of the "three wise monkeys" trio and usually reads as humorous rather than hostile.
What Does the Hear-no-evil Monkey Emoji Mean?
The 🙉 emoji means refusing to listen, whether to gossip, criticism, bad news, or something embarrassing.
The image comes from the "three wise monkeys" proverb: see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil. In that trio, this monkey is the one who covers its ears. Unicode names it HEAR-NO-EVIL MONKEY, and the Japanese term "kikazaru" (the monkey who does not hear) appears among its associated keywords.
In everyday messaging, the meaning is looser and more playful than the proverb. Rather than a moral lesson about avoiding wrongdoing, it usually signals a lighthearted "la la la, I can't hear you." The tone is more cheeky than serious, and that is why it works so well in jokes and banter.
The Core Ideas Behind the Emoji
- Avoiding gossip: you are staying out of the drama.
- Ignoring bad news: you would rather not hear it right now.
- Playful stubbornness: you have decided your opinion and won't be swayed.
- Embarrassment: something was said that you would like to pretend never happened.
How Do You Use the Hear-no-evil Monkey Emoji?
You use 🙉 as a reaction or a punchline whenever you want to show that you are blocking something out, either seriously or as a joke.
It works best at the end of a sentence or as a standalone reply. Because it is a face with hands over its ears, it communicates the action instantly, so it does not need much surrounding explanation.
Example Messages
- Don't tell me the spoiler, I'm still on episode 3 🙉
- Everyone is arguing about the group trip and I'm staying out of it 🙉
- My landlord said the rent is going up and I'm pretending I didn't hear that 🙉
Each of these uses the emoji for a slightly different shade: avoiding spoilers, avoiding drama, and avoiding unwelcome news. The emoji adds humor and keeps the message from sounding cold or dismissive.
What Does 🙉 Mean in Texting and on Social Media?
In texting and social posts, 🙉 usually signals that you refuse to engage with something, often with a wink of humor.
On social media it often appears under controversial posts, in comments about celebrity gossip, or in captions about ignoring negativity. A person might post a photo of a relaxing evening with a caption like Muting all notifications tonight 🙉 to show they are tuning out the noise.
In friend chats, it can also be a teasing response. If a friend starts to give you advice you do not want, replying with only 🙉 is a quick, good-natured way to say "I'm not hearing this." The same reply from a stranger or a boss could land differently, which is worth keeping in mind, covered below.
How Is 🙉 Different From the Other Two Wise Monkeys?
The hear-no-evil monkey covers its ears, while its two siblings cover the eyes and the mouth, and each one expresses a different kind of avoidance.
- 🙈 See-no-evil Monkey covers its eyes. It is used for embarrassment, cringing at something, or looking away from awkward content.
- 🙊 Speak-no-evil Monkey covers its mouth. It is used for secrets, oops moments, or saying something you should not have.
- 🙉 Hear-no-evil Monkey covers its ears. It is used for ignoring things you are told, rather than things you see or say.
A common mistake is using 🙈 when you actually mean "I won't listen." The visual cue of the ears is what makes 🙉 the right pick for gossip, rumors, spoilers, and unwanted advice. Many people send all three together to represent total avoidance of a situation.
Which Emojis Pair Well With 🙉?
The best companions for 🙉 are the other two wise monkeys and emojis that reinforce humor or emotional reaction.
- 🙈🙉🙊: the full trio, used for "I'm staying out of this entirely."
- 😂 Face With Tears Of Joy: signals that you find the situation funny while you refuse to engage with it.
- 😭 Loudly Crying Face: dramatic exaggeration when the thing you are avoiding is painful or embarrassing.
- 🥹 Face Holding Back Tears: used when you are avoiding something emotional.
For example, He's about to read my old diary entries out loud 🙉😭 uses both to show dread with humor. Pairing the monkey with a laughing emoji makes it clear you are joking, which helps in texts where tone can be hard to read.
How Does the Hear-no-evil Monkey Emoji Look on Different Platforms?
The 🙉 emoji appears as a cartoon monkey with hands pressed over its ears on every major platform, though the art style and fur color vary.
It is supported on Apple devices (iOS 6.0+ and macOS 10.7+), Google's Android (4.3+), Microsoft Windows (8.0+), Samsung One UI (1.0+), WhatsApp (2.17+), and Twitter through Twemoji (1.0+). Because it has been part of Unicode since version 6.0 (Emoji version 0.6), it displays on nearly all modern phones and computers.
Each vendor draws it in its own style, so the exact shade of brown, the shape of the face, and the expression can differ from one platform to the next. The core idea of a monkey with covered ears stays recognizable everywhere, so your message should be understood no matter which device the recipient uses.
When Should You Avoid the Hear-no-evil Monkey Emoji?
Avoid 🙉 when your message needs to show that you are actively listening, caring, or taking something seriously.
Replying with this emoji to a coworker's concern, a partner's complaint, or a friend sharing a hard time can come across as dismissive. Since the emoji literally depicts blocking out what someone is saying, it can feel like you are brushing them off.
- Serious conversations: use words that show you are engaged instead.
- Formal or professional messages: a playful monkey may undercut your tone.
- Emotional topics: a heartfelt reply like 😊 Smiling Face With Smiling Eyes or a sincere message is safer.
The safest rule: use 🙉 with people who know your sense of humor, and about topics where ignoring something is genuinely funny or harmless.
How Do You Copy and Paste the Hear-no-evil Monkey Emoji?
You can copy the 🙉 emoji with one click on this page and paste it into any chat, post, or document.
Simply click the emoji at the top of the page, and it is copied to your clipboard. Then paste it where you need it, using Ctrl+V on Windows or Cmd+V on Mac, or by long-pressing in a text field on your phone. Its Unicode codepoint is U+1F649, and its shortcode is :hear_no_evil_monkey: for apps that support shortcodes.
This emoji belongs to the Smileys & Emotion category, so you can browse similar reactions there. If you want to turn a whole sentence into emoji, try the Emoji Translator, or check trending emojis to see what people are sending right now.
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