: 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
Robert Sullivan
emo
adjective
The film is sensitively directed, full of emo songs and quiet little character moments.
—Kyle Smith
Kyle Smith
Examples of emo in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
An emo band whose members might otherwise now be at their most stable and content, they still seem authentically driven by unbridled, urgent emotion—only now their breakups involve lawyers, and the friendship drama occurs between people who rely on each other for income.
—Sam Sodomsky, Pitchfork, 4 May 2026
Swift cited the emo wave of the early 2000s as influential to her development as a songwriter.
—Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 29 Apr. 2026
While country storytelling shaped her structure, Swift said emo and pop-punk music sharpened her lyrical instincts.
—Bryan West, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2026
Notable shows taking place outside the amphitheater include pop star Alex Warren, who brings his Finding Family on the Road Tour on Sunday, June 21, to T-Mobile Center, and emo rock band Dance Gavin Dance, who plays Wednesday, May 13, at the VooDoo Lounge inside Harrah’s Kansas City.
—Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 27 Apr. 2026
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Sam Sodomsky, Pitchfork, 4 May 2026
Swift cited the emo wave of the early 2000s as influential to her development as a songwriter.
—Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 29 Apr. 2026
While country storytelling shaped her structure, Swift said emo and pop-punk music sharpened her lyrical instincts.
—Bryan West, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2026
Notable shows taking place outside the amphitheater include pop star Alex Warren, who brings his Finding Family on the Road Tour on Sunday, June 21, to T-Mobile Center, and emo rock band Dance Gavin Dance, who plays Wednesday, May 13, at the VooDoo Lounge inside Harrah’s Kansas City.
—Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 27 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for emo
Cite this Entry
“Emo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/emo. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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