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Emote is an example of what linguists call a back-formation—that is, a word formed by trimming down an existing word. In this case, the parent word is emotion, which came to English by way of Middle French from the Latin verb emovēre, meaning "to remove or displace" (making the "removal" of the suffix -ion to form emote quite fitting). As is sometimes the case with back-formations, emote has since its coinage in the early 20th century tended toward use that is less than entirely serious. It frequently appears in humorous or deprecating descriptions of the work of actors, and is similarly used to describe theatrical behavior by nonactors.
Examples of emote in a Sentence
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 4 Mar. 2024
But Slimane emotes all over the stage, and his insinuating vocals slide you right past the ick of it all.
—Glen Weldon, NPR, 9 May 2024
On top of the technical stuff, the kid can emote like someone who's lived, well, much more than 15 years.
—Maggie Fremont, EW.com, 9 May 2023
Shyamalan proves unafraid to wear his heart on his sleeve, prompting his actors to emote with a raw vulnerability that’s rare in contemporary thrillers.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 27 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for emote 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'emote.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near emote
Cite this Entry
“Emote.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/emote. Accessed 2 Jul. 2024.
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