Emos

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A group referencing individuals or music associated with an emotional, expressive style; often distinguished by distinctive fashion and intense feelings; commonly tied to a subculture focused on emotional expression
2. Referring collectively to people belonging to a youth subculture known for emotional openness, particular music genres, and a characteristic aesthetic; denoting those who emphasize visible feelings and alternative style
3. Pertaining to members of a movement characterized by expressive, confessional music; signifying individuals recognized for their emotive outlook, unique dress, and passionate subcultural identity

Etymology: "Emos" is simply the plural of "emo," so the story belongs to the singular. The term was first recorded in 1988, and it is a clipped form of "emotional" (or of "emotive"), which was attached to the hardcore punk music of the mid-1980s. Bands in the Washington, D.C. scene made music that was raw and confessional, and the word began to label that intensely personal style. The word was in use earlier than its first documented appearance suggests, and its path into a youth identity was gradual. "Emocore," a compound formed from "emo" and "hardcore," is first attested in 1986, showing that the shortened form was already being used to describe a sound before it named a person. Over the following decades the label spread from music to fashion and style, and it became an umbrella term covering a range of related looks and tastes rather than one fixed scene.

Synonyms: emotional people, emo kids, emo youth

Antonyms: stoics, nonconformists