The 'umm' emote is used to express hesitation, uncertainty, confusion, or awkwardness in chat. It represents that moment when someone is unsure how to respond, is caught off-guard, or witnesses something questionable or cringe-worthy. The cat's wide-eyed, slightly uncomfortable stare perfectly captures the feeling of being put on the spot or not knowing what to say. It's the visual equivalent of verbally saying 'umm...' when you're searching for words or processing something unexpected.
The 'umm' emote features a close-up image of a cream-colored cat with large, wide eyes staring directly at the camera with an uncertain or confused expression. This emote originated from a viral cat photo that became popular across various social media platforms in the early 2020s. The cat's bewildered, slightly awkward stare perfectly encapsulates the feeling of hesitation or uncertainty. It was added to various Twitch channels and emote platforms like 7TV, FrankerFaceZ, and BetterTTV around 2021-2022 as streamers and communities adopted it to express moments of awkwardness or confusion.
This emote is commonly used when:
- A streamer says something awkward or questionable
- Someone makes a bad joke or pun
- Viewers witness a cringe moment on stream
- The streamer makes a questionable decision in a game
- Someone asks an uncomfortable or weird question in chat
- There's an awkward silence or pause
- Responding to statements that leave chat confused or uncertain
- When chat collectively doesn't know how to react to something
