What Does 'UWU' Mean?

If you've ever found yourself browsing anime or furry communities online, you may have run across the term UWU before. UWU is used as an alternative to the smiley face emoticon but with a cute twist, resembling a cartoonish smile that's frequently used in anime. Here's a deeper look into the history and use of the term so you can properly express your happiness to every weeaboo you meet.

Where Does UWU Come From?

It's unknown when people started using UWU as an alternative to the smiley emoticon, but the first known use of the term comes from a Yu-Gi-Oh! fanfiction published on October 14th, 2005. UWU is meant to represent a cutesy smiley face that anime characters sometimes make, each "U" acting as an eye and the "W" as a mouth. It is most often used to convey happiness but can also express a feeling of contentment and relaxation.

Over the following years, the emoticon spread online as both a smiley emoticon and in memes, typically featuring anime references. It was defined on Urban Dictionary as early as 2012 and gained virality on Tumblr in 2013, where some found themselves confused about what it meant. Beyond anime, it's also been adopted by the furry community, some thinking the "w" looks like the mouth of an animal like a dog or cat. Because of its ties to these communities and its overuse by some people, it's sometimes seen as a cringey term.

UWU Usage In Memes

Besides its use as an emoticon, there are a few ways people use UWU in memes. Sometimes, the term is used in shitposting as a way to poke fun at weebs, furries and anyone else who might overuse it to the point of cringe. The UWU face itself has also been photoshopped and drawn onto countless faces and characters over the years. In March 2018, Star Wars actor Mark Hamill was pranked into using UWU on Twitter and in 2020 the official Esports page of the U.S. Army tweeted it out to Discord, raising a few eyebrows on the site.

What Is An UWU Girl?

An UWU girl is a slang term used to describe girls, typically influencers like streamers, who portray themselves as overly cutesy and excited towards their fans. They are often seen as anime obsessed and make that outwardly apparent. UWU girls are often defined as the living embodiment of the UWU emoticon, sometimes even saying "uwu" out loud in everyday speech and speaking in a high-pitched, childlike voice known as the "uwu voice."

Is UWU A Furry Or Weeb Term?

UWU is used by both furries and weeaboos. It is also used outside these respective fandoms by web users more generally as a cutesy or smiley face. The first known use of the phrase, however, comes from an anime fanfiction, so technically it began in anime communities and spread to furry communities from there.

How Do You Say UWU?

When spoken, UWU is most often pronounced like "oo-woo."

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For the full history of UWU, be sure to check out our entry on the slang term here for even more information.