emote

American  

[ih-moht] / ɪˈmoʊt /

verb (used without object)

emoted, emoting

1. to show or pretend emotion.

   to emote over the beauties of nature.

2. to portray emotion in acting, especially exaggeratedly or ineptly; behave theatrically.

   The actress emoted for all she was worth.

3. Digital Technology. (in an online chat or video game) to give a conventionalized descriptive account of an action or emotion or prompt one’s in-game avatar to perform an animated action or emotion using a command or code.

   To emote, type a forward slash and one of the commands from the list in chat.

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noun

Digital Technology.

1. 1. (in an online chat or video game) a typed command or code that is translated into a descriptive account of an action or emotion, or that causes one’s in-game avatar to perform an action or emotion.

      Standard emotes in online video games allow you to cheer, greet, and thank other characters.

   2. (in a video game) the animation that is performed when such a code is entered.

      The first thing I do in a new game is check out my character’s dance emote.

2. (in an online chat) a posted image, especially on the Twitch streaming video channel, that has a fixed but nontransparent meaning in the video gaming community.

   Classic emotes feature popular streamers making faces.

emote British  

/ ɪˈməʊt /

verb

1. (intr) to display exaggerated emotion, as in acting; behave theatrically

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Other Word Forms

• emoter noun
• overemote verb (used without object)

Etymology

Origin of emote

An Americanism first recorded in 1915–20; back formation from emotion

Explanation

To emote is to express emotion, particularly when you're acting in a film or a play. If an actor doesn't emote, the audience can't tell how he's supposed to be feeling in a scene. When people emote, it sometimes appears overdone or melodramatic. Taking a feeling and exaggerating it so that an audience can understand the character's emotions is what actors do when they emote. The noun emotion came first, and the theatrical verb emote followed in the early twentieth century. The Old French root word is emouvoir, or "stir up," from the Latin emovere, "move out, remove, or agitate."

Example Sentences

You can watch a good actor, and they can really make you emote, right, because there’s an instant accessibility.

From Salon • Feb. 1, 2026

Last year, Epic Games filed a motion to dismiss the case, alleging that Hanagami’s “How Long” moves and their “Fortnite” emote were not “substantially similar.”

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 3, 2023

"Rihanna never needed to over-sing anything; she always sounded too cool to emote," said Stereogum's Tom Breihan. ahead of her Super Bowl debut.

From BBC • Feb. 12, 2023

The model has 85 points of articulation, which let E.T. move about and emote while on screen.

From Washington Times • Dec. 21, 2022

They brood; they emote; but the idea that they are murderous is a cultural libel.

From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz