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.
The spectre of Midwest emo looms large; American Football in particular casts a considerable shadow. — Nick Laskin, Pitchfork, 26 Oct. 2026 Earlier this week, Kardashian started the trend by dressing up as her 13-year-old daughter, trading her typical skintight uniform for her teen’s more tomboyish emo aesthetic. — Isabella Albaig, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2026 The ones on Wilshire Boulevard hope for a peek inside the church, which was made famous by emo-rock band My Chemical Romance. — Lina Abascal, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026 And even though their indie rock side was fairly pronounced and their hometown shows were ramping up, wakelee struggled to find a place to fit in within NYC’s historically emo-averse local music scene. — Andrew Sacher, SPIN, 5 Oct. 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

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Browse Nearby Words

Emmy
emo
emodin
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Cite this Entry

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

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