Person Kneeling 🧎

A gender-neutral figure shown on their knees in a kneeling position, usually depicted with a calm, composed expression. The posture is upright through the torso while the legs fold beneath, conveying vulnerability, reverence, prayer, or submission depending on context. Design varies slightly across platforms but the seated-on-knees pose is consistent.

People use this emoji to describe literal kneeling (prayer, meditation, repair work), emotional states like supplication or humility, or solidarity gestures. In recent years, kneeling has gained strong cultural significance as a form of peaceful protest or showing respect, particularly in social justice contexts. It can also represent someone exhausted, defeated, or breaking down emotionally.

The kneeling pose is more formal and vulnerable than standing, creating a sense of intimacy or seriousness in tone. It's particularly powerful when paired with other emoji to build context around what the kneeling represents—prayer hands, hearts, or causes.

This emoji was standardized in Unicode Emoji 12.0 in 2019 and has become increasingly visible in activism and solidarity messaging. The gender-neutral version offers inclusivity while allowing conversations about people kneeling without specifying gender.