Vibe is a slang word that expresses the atmosphere, emotion, current state or feeling that arises from an event or person. It is often found in hip-hop culture and youth slang. It is worth mentioning that in recent years this term has begun to appear in the speech of mature people. As a rule, when expressing themselves in this way, a person tries to characterize the environment around him, as well as his emotions and feelings in relation to something.
In this article, we will explain in simple what vibe and its derivative “to vibe” mean, and we will also help you understand where these expressions come from and how to use them correctly in speech.
What does vibe mean in youth slang
The word vibe is used widely in modern Russian, especially among young people. Its exact meaning is not so easy to explain, since it is connected mostly with the emotional state and worldview. Main synonym for vibe - atmosphere, this term can be used to denote everything that a person feels at the present moment. That is, for example, instead of the phrase "New Year's atmosphere", it is quite appropriate to use "New Year's vibe".
This term covers a whole range of impressions and feelings that people, events, things, emotions give us. It can be used both in a positive and negative way. The phrase bad vibe refers to various unpleasant emotions: fear, disappointment, sadness, difficult life circumstances, conflict situations, etc. A positive vibe can be considered everything positive that happens to us.
Such combinations of words can characterize not only the feelings you get from the environment, the space around you, but also apply these phrases to people, objects or situations. For example, you can say that a sad person gives off a negative vibe. In this case, the word takes on a slightly different meaning and is interpreted more as a mood. This also applies to the general environment within a group of people.
How to use the word vibe
Depending on the context, the slang word "vibe" can have slightly different meanings. Therefore, in order to use it in your speech without making any mistakes, it is worth understanding in what situations and how to use it correctly. This word is especially often used in relation to music, when a person tries to describe the feelings he received from the content he listened to.
In addition, a vibe can be called a spiritual uplift from a musical composition. It can match the vibe to a certain situation, mood or psychological state of a person. In this case, the entire album or a separate track can be called a vibe. For example, "Listen to the new song, it's incredibly vibey."
The word vibe can also be used in several other situations.
- To convey one's own feelings relative to some place. In this case, the term "vibe" replaces the more familiar word "atmosphere". For example, to emphasize the cozy atmosphere in the room, you can use the phrase "nice vibe". About unfavorable establishments, they usually say something like: "I don't like that this club has a negative vibe."
- That talk about mood/emotions. If you feel uplifted in the morning, you can say: “I’m on a positive vibe today.” Or, when you enjoy listening to music, “I’m vibing to this track.”
Most often, the word "vibe" is used to describe positive emotions. It can be used in different word forms, adapted to a specific situation, and changed by case. There are variations such as:
- vibe (relaxing, cool atmosphere);
- vibe (enjoy, catch great moments from what is happening), etc.
It is perfectly correct to say "I miss the vibe." Simply put, the word is acceptable to use in relation to something or someone that evokes strong emotions.
Where does the word vibe come from?
The word vibe in English means approximately the same as in Russian. Initially, it formed from vibration and was later shortened to vibe. The new term began to be used in esotericism, giving it the meaning of vibration and the transfer of some energy between objects in space.
In the 60s of the last century, the word "vibe" began to be applied to music, denoting the emotions that are caused by listening to a particular track. This term was popularized in 66 with the release of the song "Good Vibrations" by the American rock band The Beach Boys, which made a splash at that time. According to the author of the music, the original title of the song was supposed to sound like Good Vibes, but this idea was abandoned in favor of the correct pronunciation. Soon the expression good vibes became stable and took on the meaning of a beach mood, thereby distorting the meaning of the esoteric term.
In Russian youth slang, the word has firmly taken root in the 20s of the 21st century. At some point, it began to be used everywhere, expressing one's emotions and mood in relation to anything. According to the information portal "Gramota.ru", vibe became the word of 2024, beating its main competitor in the person of another new term "skuf".
How to feel the vibe
The term "catching the vibe" means giving yourself the opportunity to feel the surrounding atmosphere, to become a part of it, to tune in to the wave of what is happening. It is like a dance in which a person learns to catch the vibrations of the surrounding world, to respond to them and to move in rhythm.
In order to quickly switch to a positive wave in any situation, you need to learn how to create good vibrations in your life. The phrase "catching a vibe" in ordinary language means getting positive emotions from a pleasant atmosphere or some things. For example, people can feel a vibe from various actions:
- being in pleasant friendly company;
- listening to good music;
- watching a cool movie.
In addition, you can get a portion of vibe sensations by eating your favorite chocolate bar, iring a beautiful sunrise, looking at the stars. Simply put, catching the vibe of happiness, fun, pleasure and enjoyment is not so difficult. People who feel it trust their emotions, go beyond rational thinking or, as it may sometimes seem, common sense, and allow new experiences to which they have opened their hearts to carry them away into a whirlpool of sensations.
It is important not only to feel, but also to understand how to create a vibe for yourself and others. This practice will help you stay in a good mood more often. People who create a vibe are usually an integral part of any team. They are usually called "the life of the party".
What kind of vibe is there?
Depending on the context, vibe can be very different. The word can be used by adding various adjectives to it. For example, in relation to the seasons, you can say "autumn vibe", "winter vibe" or "summer vibe". This will indicate a person's special feelings towards a particular season. The same can be said about days of the week, vacations, weekends and even a certain time period.
Depending on the type of emotions received or the current mood, the vibe will differ.
- Sad vibe Associated with melancholy, sadness, unpleasant memories, loss or loneliness. Accompanied by a depressed mood and sometimes even a feeling of hopelessness.
- Romantic vibe is typical for moments of spending time together with a loved one and is characterized by the presence of tender feelings. Such a vibe can be felt, for example, on a date.
- Festive vibe — such a mood arises on the eve of or during a holiday. It is associated with the general bustle and preparation for the event and is felt, for the most part, as an expectation of something pleasant, grandiose.
There are a huge number of variations of vibe. This word can be attributed to any mood, state of mind or worldview. The characteristic atmosphere of a certain period of time can also be called a vibe. Thus, it turns out that a vibe can be anything, depending on what a person wants to convey with this word.
Music for vibe
One of the easiest ways to create the right atmosphere for yourself, suitable for relaxation, work, study or sports, is listening to music. You can make your own playlist of vibe songs or find it on the Internet. Various music services have many thematic collections of tracks suitable for a particular task/mood.
What do the phrases plus and minus vibe mean?
In modern youth slang there are also more unusual variations of the use of the word "vibe". Often in colloquial speech there are phrases that emphasize or approve of the point of view of the interlocutor. In such cases, the phrase is used "plus vibe". The person saying this seems to agree and like what they heard. In the case of "minus vibe" the situation is the opposite - this is what they say if they need to express dissatisfaction or disagreement with the interlocutor.
What is a vibe check
This combination of words in English sounds like vibe check and literally translates as mood check. Using such a phrase, a person can ask the interlocutor about his or her state of mind. Simply put, a vibe check is a kind of substitute for a simple everyday question, “How are you?”
The phrase has been making a lot of appearances in internet humor lately, often in memes involving violence. The original premise of these images was that the mood-seeking character is in such a foul mood that they are willing to hurt others.
We hope our article helped you find out what the word vibe means, how to use it correctly and where it came from. comments You can write how you feel about the term itself, as well as about other new words that have recently appeared in the language.
