emo

noun

ˈē-(ˌ)mō How to pronounce emo (audio)
: a style of rock music influenced by punk rock and featuring introspective and emotionally fraught lyrics
In emo, the heart forever hurts, and the ultra-introspective songwriter pines for beautiful death.—Robert Sullivan
emo adjective
The film is sensitively directed, full of emo songs and quiet little character moments. —Kyle Smith

Examples of emo in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In this 2004 version — which starred Parton in the music video — Mindy Smith doubles down on the song’s folksy feel, slows down the tempo and adds a hint of emo vibes to make its message that much more poignant. — Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 28 Aug. 2026 The sentiment set the table for a record that often suggests what might’ve happened if the band had released a transitional album in 1995, between their debut 1994 alt-rock smash The Blue Album and their 1996 emo-adjacent masterpiece Pinkerton. — Jon Dolan, Rolling Stone, 20 Aug. 2026 Still, the fandoms that are most likely to post emo lyrics or examine the most devastating lines could have a slightly inflated score. — Jeff Benjamin, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026 Like emo in the early to mid ’00s, the genre marker has been muddied to the point of near meaninglessness. — Brendan Menapace, SPIN, 3 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for emo

Word History

Etymology

short for emotional

First Known Use

1988, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of emo was in 1988

Rhymes for emo

See All Rhymes for emo

Browse Nearby Words

Emmy
emo
emodin
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Emo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/emo. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All