A collection of popular emojis on instant messaging software QQ in China. [Photo/Tencent]

"Grin"  is the most popular emoji on the instant messaging tool QQ in China, and was used more than 52 billion times in 2015, according to a report released by Tencent.

"Smile" , "chuckle", "scowl" and "grimace" follow, ranking No 2 to 5 respectively.

The report was based on the data of more than 860 million QQ users, for whom  means polite, cute, and friendly, and has become the best way to say hello when chatting online.

Different people prefer different emojis. Though not listed in the top 5, icons of crying are popular among women and kids.

Females like the emoji "sob"  most, which is also used to represent acting like a child. Kids and teenagers between the age of 5 to 15 favor "whimper" , which is frequently used for an icon representing tears.

Meanings of emojis change over the years, too.

The emoji "smile"  used to represent kindness, but now indicates unhappy and dismissive. For example, one can reply with when he disagrees with and makes fun of others.

The emoji "wave"  used to mean goodbye, but now is more often used to mean to pretend that "we are no longer friends". For example, one can say "I don't want to see you anymore ", which is usually not taken seriously.

The emoji "laugh and cry", which was chosen as the word of the year of 2015 by the Oxford English Dictionary, is a new star with several different meanings, for example laughing out loud, expressing extreme happiness, laughing helplessly, or embarrassment.

By Yan Dongjie (chinadaily.com.cn)