Emo vs. Preppy — What's the Difference?

Emo is a rock music genre characterized by an emphasis on emotional expression, sometimes through confessional lyrics. It emerged as a style of post-hardcore from the mid-1980s hardcore punk movement in Washington, D.C., where it was known as emotional hardcore or emocore and pioneered by bands such as Rites of Spring and Embrace.

Preppy (also spelled preppie) or prep (all abbreviations of the word preparatory) is a youth subculture in the United States associated with old private Northeastern college preparatory schools. The terms are used to denote a person seen as characteristic of a student or alumnus of these schools.

Rock music characterized by confessional lyrics about emotional topics.

A student or former student of a preparatory school.

A particular style of hardcore punk rock

A person whose manner and dress are deemed typical of traditional preparatory schools.

An individual of people associated with that subculture and musical style.

Of or relating to a preppy or a preparatory school.

Any form of guitar-driven alternative rock that is particularly or notably emotional

Relating to things (such as clothing) that are typical of students at prep schools.

An individual of people associated with a fashion or stereotype of that style of rock.

(US) A student of a prep school.

A young person who is considered to be over-emotional or stereotypically emo.

Emotional; sensitive.

Depressed.

Associated with youth subcultures embodying emotional sensitivity.