Vibe Check
/vaɪb tʃɛk/
Generally Harmless
mood
atmosphere
meme
social media
intuition
Definition
An assessment, often spontaneous or humorous, of someone's mood, atmosphere, or general disposition ('vibe'). It can also be a playful, sometimes mock-aggressive, way to demand someone reveal their current state of mind.
Examples
- He seemed really off, so I gave him a vibe check.
- Random vibe check! How are you feeling?
- That comment failed the vibe check.
Origin & Context
Popularized through internet memes and social media platforms like Twitter and Tumblr in the late 2010s. It plays on the idea of intuitively sensing someone's emotional state.
For Parents & Educators
While often playful, the 'aggressive' form of vibe check (e.g., a meme showing someone about to hit another with an object labeled 'vibe check') is purely humorous and not literal.