Overview
Style tags
Emotion tags
Interpretation
Emotion and mood
The kaomoji 〜(＞＜)〜 expresses tension, frustration, and stressed-out discomfort. It looks like a little character squeezing their eyes shut and wriggling or shaking from stress. The ＞＜ eyes show a tight, squinting expression as if the person is bracing for impact, while the wavy 〜 lines on both sides give a feeling of shaking, flailing, or restless fidgeting. Overall, it feels like saying "aaah I can’t deal with this" in a cute, exaggerated way.
You can use 〜(＞＜)〜 when you feel overwhelmed by work, school, deadlines, social pressure, awkward situations, or anything that makes you tense and uncomfortable. It is perfect for moments when you want to complain in a light-hearted, anime-style way instead of sounding purely negative. The mood sits between anxious, annoyed, and exhausted: stressed, but still playful enough to laugh at your own suffering.
Visual breakdown
- The wavy lines 〜 on both sides look like a body wriggling or shaking, as if the character is jittery or flailing their arms from stress.
- The parentheses ( and ) form the outline of the head or face, enclosing the emotional expression.
- The ＞＜ in the middle are tightly shut, squinting eyes, with no visible mouth. This makes it feel like the character is clenching up and enduring something unpleasant or intense.
Put together, 〜(＞＜)〜 looks like a small, tense character squirming in place, eyes shut tight, body vibrating from stress, frustration, or discomfort.
Typical use cases
You can use 〜(＞＜)〜 in many everyday situations, for example:
- When you are drowning in homework, exam prep, or work tasks and want to vent your overload.
- When a deadline is coming soon and you feel pressure building up.
- When someone tells you stressful news, like extra meetings, extra chores, or last-minute changes.
- When you feel anxious before a big event, presentation, interview, or confession.
- When something is so cringe, chaotic, or messed up that you feel your whole body tense up.
It is a great kaomoji for "I’m stressed," "this is too much," and "I can’t handle this" moments that you still want to express in a cute, meme-able way.
Usage guide
Tips
Overview
The kaomoji 〜(＞＜)〜 is ideal for expressing tension, frustration, and "I’m so stressed" feelings in a cute, exaggerated way. It works well when you’re overwhelmed by tasks, worried about an upcoming event, or reacting to chaotic news and schedules. Instead of writing a long complaint, you can drop 〜(＞＜)〜 to instantly show that your whole body feels tight and wriggly from stress.
When to use
- When homework, exams, or work projects pile up and you feel like you can’t keep up.
- When a deadline is way too close and you’re working in panic mode.
- When someone announces extra meetings, sudden changes, or more responsibilities out of nowhere.
- When you’re anxious before a presentation, interview, or big conversation and need to vent.
- When a messy situation, silly drama, or unfair decision makes you feel mentally overloaded.
Example lines
- I still have three reports to finish today 〜(＞＜)〜
- The teacher just added another assignment for tomorrow 〜(＞＜)〜
- Why are there so many meetings this week 〜(＞＜)〜
- I’m so nervous about tomorrow’s exam 〜(＞＜)〜
Tips and notes
- Use 〜(＞＜)〜 in casual chats, group conversations, and social media posts where playful drama is welcome.
- Combine it with short explanations like "so stressed," "help," or "too much" to make your feelings even clearer.
- Avoid using it in very serious or sensitive contexts, where a more direct and calm explanation is better.
- If your stress is real and heavy, don’t rely only on kaomoji; add honest words so friends can understand and support you properly.
Usage examples
Real conversation samples that feature this kaomoji.
Example 1
Example 2