: 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.
These latest wins show that even during an extended hiatus, the staple of the emo movement is still relevant to what must be a large number of listeners. Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 12 Apr. 2025 The camera then cuts to a stereotypical goth teenager (played by Michael Longfellow) dressed in all black with a classic emo hairstyle. Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 6 Apr. 2025 In November, Bob Bryar, the 44-year-old former drummer for the emo band My Chemical Romance, was found dead in his Tennessee home. August Brown, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2025 The couple got engaged in 2018, and would spend their Tuesday nights pre-COVID at their local dive bar, singing throwback emo songs late into the night with a group of their friends. Sara Belcher, People.com, 28 Mar. 2025 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

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Cite this Entry

“Emo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/emo. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.

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