IMDEAD is a Twitch emote featuring a low-resolution, 3D-rendered smiley face character with a blank or dazed expression, arms hanging limply, and a generally lifeless posture. The emote is used to express a feeling of being overwhelmed, speechless, or 'dead' from laughter, shock, or embarrassment. It conveys a sense of being emotionally or mentally 'knocked out' by something that just happened on stream or in chat.
Origin
The IMDEAD emote is based on a classic 3D smiley face character that became popular in early internet culture and meme communities. The emote itself started appearing on Twitch around 2021, but it does not originate from a specific Twitch streamer. Instead, it was added to third-party emote extensions like BetterTTV (BTTV) and FrankerFaceZ (FFZ), where it quickly gained popularity for its expressive, meme-like appearance. The emote is a nod to the nostalgia of early 2000s internet graphics and emoticons.
When to use
When something hilarious happens on stream, and viewers want to express that they're 'dead' from laughter.
In response to an epic fail, embarrassing moment, or shocking event during a broadcast.
To react to cringe-worthy or awkward situations in chat or on stream.
As a general meme reaction to anything that leaves viewers speechless or overwhelmed.
