Did you know?
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
Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 28 Oct. 2025
According to the outlet, Lawrence does get Botox (but doesn't get fillers) and understands the implications injectables in her forehead might have on her acting and her ability to emote.
—Michelle Lee, PEOPLE, 27 Oct. 2025
The big number arrives, characters emote, high notes ring and ring and ring again … and the aria subsides unmemorably, without leaving the ozone tang that signals a bolt of musical lightning.
—Justin Davidson, Vulture, 30 Sep. 2025
Tabitha didn't seem to know how to emote on camera.
—Meredith G. White, AZCentral.com, 13 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for emote
Cite this Entry
“Emote.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/emote. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
Copy Citation
Share