8)

What Does 8) Mean?

The Quick Answer

8) means "Cool."

More Detail...

It is an emoticon showing sunglasses and a smile. (NB: Emoticons differ from emojis, which are small digital images or icons used to express ideas or emotions.)

Emoticons often resemble a human expression. With 8) the expression it not immediately obvious because the sunglasses are not instantly apparent. Other emoticons are clearer, for example :( (sad face) and ;) (wink). denotes a wink. The term "cool" describes a person who is relaxed, confident and fashionable. It can also mean that someone is okay with a situation (e.g., He was cool with having to get the bus home.) The term "cool" is associated with the youth culture of the 1950s and 1960s.

Image for 8)

When I write 8), I mean this:

8) means cool. Another version is 8-)

Summary of Key Points

We have summarized the key points in the table below:

8)
Definition:	Cool or Okay
Type:	Icon
Guessability:	4: Difficult to guess
Typical Users:	Adults and Teenagers

Examples of 8) in Sentences

Here are examples of 8) in conversations:

• Jane: What did you think of my new haircut?
• Helen: 8).

• Tim: Do you think I'm 8).
• Jack: You are joking, right?

An Academic Look at 8)

8) is classified by our team as an "internet slang term" as opposed to an initialism abbreviation or an acronym. Initially, "internet slang terms" were introduced for brevity, but, particularly with the advent of predictive texting and on-screen keyboards, they are now mostly employed for fun. "Slang terms" differ from icons because they are not pictorial representations. 8) is typically used as an adjective (i.e., a describing word). For example:

• She thought the boy was 8).

What Did We Say before Texting and Social Media?

Before the digital era, we would just have said "cool" or "okay" instead of 8).

Using Numbers in Texts

This video shows the different ways that numbers are used in "text speak":

Example of 8) Used in a Text

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