All the Sex Emojis You Need for Perfectly Raunchy Sexting

Urban dictionary, your dirty-minded bestie, and a stack of erotic reads may come in handy when your mind goes blank mid-sexting. But next time words fail you, there’s another tool at your disposal: Sex emojis.

That’s right. Those little cartoon diddly doos have a place in your R-rated convos, according to clinical sexologist Megan Stubbs, Ed.D., who is a big proponent of emoji-use during steamy chats. “Sexting is another way to add pleasure and play to your sexual repertoire,” she says. “And using emojis while you sext puts an emphasis on the playful part.”

Beyond imbuing the convo with a sense of fun, emojis can actually enhance your communication. “Emojis are the sexting equivalent of ‘a picture is worth a thousand words.'” says Stubbs. Especially useful for shy pleasure seekers, “emojis give you a way to respond when you’re having trouble coming up with a cohesive thought or idea.” (See More: 8 Sexting Tips For Steamy and Safe Convos)

Best part? These tiny graphics are just a keyboard switch away. Meaning, they’re there for you day or night, and despite shotty WiFi. Whether you’re here to up your sexting game or, rather, just want to know the sneakily sexy meanings behind all your favorite emojis, read on for your ultimate crib sheet to sex emojis.

The Unofficial Sex Emoji Glossary

?? Angel Face: Fifty Shades of Grey fans, you can think of this as the Anastasia Steele of emojis (aka good girl? Nah, that’s just a guise).

?? Basketball: True, it’s not great. But this is as close as you kinky folk are gonna get to a ball-gag. (At least until the next keyboard update.)

?? Camel: In the words of the Black Eyed Peas, “My hump my hump my hump my hump my hump my hump. My lovely lady lumps.” In other words, yes, the camel emoji is really out here standing in for boobs.

?? Cancer Sign: Sorry, but just look at this graphic! It literally couldn’t be more suggestive if you tried! In interracialcupid com sexting, it comes in handy when asking for mutual oral. (See More: Everything You Need to Know About the 69 Position)

? Chains: Kinksters, you can thank Rihanna – who really had us singing “chains and whips excite me” in seventh grade (sorry, Mom!), – for this inclusion. (Related: The Best BDSM Toys for Beginners)

?? Cowboy/girl/human Face. An easy response to, “What position do you want to try tonight.” Yee-haw! (Related: How to Nail the Cowgirl/Rider Sex Position)

All the Sex Emojis You Need for Perfectly Raunchy Sexting

?? Crying Cat: You could have your text-mate listen to all 4 minutes of Cardi B’s ‘WAP.’ Or, you could send this as short-hand. Think about it: water + an alternate name for cat. ( said it first!)

?? Devil Face: The most obvious sext-friendly face, this buddy screams: Horny. And also: I know the way I make your breath hitch, heart rate spike, scalp sweat, and panties drop.

?? Drool Face. In the middle of a sexting sesh, the drool face emoji is an easy stand-in for, “that’s so hot I’m drooling all over my phone.” At the end though, it could represent your mouth after a certain set of sex acts (ahem, oral sex). Graphic? Sure. But don’t be shy sweetie, you are sexting after all.

?? Eggplant: No sex emoji guide would be complete without the inclusion of the emoji now famous for its double entendre for penis. It can also mean dildo. (Related: The Best Dildos to Add to Your Collection)

?? Explosion: Yep. This little explosion is as close to depicting a climax as emojis get. If only there was an Old Faithful geyser option.

?? Fire: Convo started a fire in your loins? Don’t forget about this literal flame emoji. A string of these also serves well in response to a nude.

?? Fireworks: Assuming Katy Perry hasn’t ruined fireworks for you (just me?), this is another good substitute for “I just came.” (For the record: Orgasms don’t just feel good, they’re healthy.)

????Hand Emojis: Alone, each of these hand emojis is quite G-rated but put them together, and you have the most obvious P-in-V sex emoji. If you’re looking for something honest and straightforward, this is your move.

?? Hammer: The fact that the hammer has become slang for a big schlong isn’t surprising. (But, I’m just gonna say it, this ish can be pretty misogynistic, so please save this one for woke penis-owners who won’t treat you like a nail.)

?? Lollipop: This swirly treat is a stand-in for another kind of swirly treat. Confused? Think about the lyrics of your favorite (and teacher’s least favorite) middle school bop, “She licked me like a lollipop.”

??Nail: Maybe you and your partner are exploring power play and you’re expressing your desire to be (consensually!) dominated the way a hammer sees a nail. Regardless, when paired with the hammer, this unassuming icon paints quite the picture.

?? Peace Sign: Sorry to turn the universal symbol of peace, love, and happiness into a sex emoji. But look at it! That “V” shape is very, um, vaginal.

?? Peach: Behold: The most euphemistic emoji on deck. Long-used as code for a butt by fitfluencers, this juicy icon deserves a place in your chat.

?? Pinched Finger: Italian-gesticulation hand? No way. This e-x-a-c-t shape your hand makes while fisting someone! It’s almost like the designers were trying to encourage us to celebrate the pleasure-potential of multi-finger finger-banging!

?? Scissors: Obviously, this is a not-so-subtle nod to the oh-so-pleasurable genital-on-genital sex position “scissoring.” Pro tip: Whether you’re URL or IRL scissoring, use ??(keep scrolling; that’s code for lube).

?? Serpent: Catholic school kids, you’ll love this one. Remember when Adam’s serpent (read: penis) slithered into Eve’s garden (read: vagina). Welp, now you can say all that without, you know, actually saying it.

?? String of Beads: Pair this string of beads with the peach to clue your mate what toy you’re bringing with you next time you meet up IRL. (Hint: anal beads.)

?? Taco: As much as I hate that taco has become a euphemism for vagina, (I mean, minced meat sandwich, really??), to my chagrin this emoji admittedly does serve helpful when it comes to talking about taco eating. (Yes, that’s code for cunnilingus, aka oral sex for vulvas).

?? Tongue: Tasting, teasing, tongue-touching, tonsil-hockey. The tongue-emoji is a bit of a choose your own R-rated adventure. So, choose the emoji(s) you pair this with wisely. It’d be a bummer to pair it with a peach when you really meant to pair it with a taco.

?? Water Droplet: Lube. This is the lube emoji. No ifs, ands, or buts – I don’t make the rules. (Related: Everything You Need to Know About Lube)

?? Water Emoji: Water is wet. Send this emoji and mid-convo and you’re asking your boo, “You know what else is wet? My taco.” (That said, a friendly reminder that wetness is not always equivalent with arousal! You could be hella turned on and still require a bit of ??.)