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

Example Sentences

So I needed Wagner’s command of the screen, how the camera loves him, to see him thinking and emoting not in an overt way.

From Los Angeles Times

Songs like “No Good Deed” and “March of the Witch Hunters” are chopped up and rearranged to allow for more dialogue and less emoting, distending the film into a bloated heap.

From Salon

Nansi is just eyes and a nose now, but that doesn’t stop him from emoting pure annoyance.

From Literature

Now, the aim is to keep layoffs even more efficient—with fewer chances for ugly public scenes or communal emoting.

From The Wall Street Journal

It released the emote as part of a Charli XCX-themed concert within Dress to Impress, a popular game available on the platform.

From BBC