man gesturing NO

This emoji represents a man making a gesture that means "No." He is crossing his arms in an X to express refusal or prohibition.

This universally understood gesture is frequently used on social media and in messages. It is often used for gentle refusals.

While this gesture has subtle differences across cultures, it is generally understood to mean negation or refusal. Especially in online communication, this emoji can be used to convey a gentle refusal instead of a direct one.

Recently, there has been an increase in witty usage of this emoji among Gen Z. For example, it is used humorously, like 'Doing homework 🙅‍♂️', or as a polite way to decline something to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings.