emo
Emotionally intense, gloomy, or connected to emo music and its subculture.
By Cal Hewitt, Gen X · Researched from public sources · ·
What it actually means
Emo began as a punk-derived music genre with personal, vulnerable lyrics. It later became a label for a fashion and youth subculture, and then a casual adjective for feeling sad or dramatic. Calling someone emo can be neutral, affectionate, or dismissive.
See the quick definition in the emo dictionary entry.
Where it came from
Emo developed from Washington, D.C., hardcore punk in the mid-1980s as emotional hardcore or emocore. Rites of Spring and Embrace are widely identified as formative bands. The exact source of the shortened name emo is disputed, although Brian Baker is often credited with the earlier term emotional hardcore.
Commonly credited to Brian Baker is often credited with “emotional hardcore”; the short form's exact origin is disputed (mid-1980s), disputed.
Where it's popular
Washington, D.C. punk, later U.S. alternative music, online fandoms, and global youth subcultures.
The casual adjective is much broader than the original music genre.
How it caught on
- mid-1980sEmotional hardcore emerged from Washington, D.C., punk.
- 1990sIndie and Midwest scenes developed new emo styles.
- early 2000sBands such as My Chemical Romance and Fall Out Boy brought emo into mainstream culture.
How to use it
“I have been listening to emo all afternoon.”
Referring to the music genre.
“That ending made me feel emo.”
Casual use for sadness or emotional intensity.
Common mix-ups
Emo is not simply any sad person or any music with emotional lyrics. It has a specific punk-rooted musical history.
Do you actually know it?
Emo basics
0/31. Emo began in:
2. Emocore means:
3. Casual emo can mean:
Related slang
Questions people ask
What does emo mean?
A punk-derived music genre, subculture, or casual description of emotional sadness.
Where did emo come from?
The Washington, D.C., hardcore scene in the mid-1980s.
Is emo an insult?
It can be used dismissively, but many fans use it as a neutral or positive identity.
Many early bands rejected the emo label even as it spread through their scene.
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