vibe

Etymology

Apocopic form of vibration, vibrator, etc.

noun

1. (plural only, colloquial) A vibraphone.
2. (informal) Vibration.
3. (informal) A vibrator (sex toy).
4. (informal, originally New Age jargon, often in the plural) An atmosphere or aura felt to belong to a person, place or thing.
   The couple canceled their night out when they got a bad vibe from the new babysitter.
   I like her. I get good vibes from her. July 7, 2014, Pat Simmons, Guilty of Love, Generation Quest Press
   This place is giving me bad vibes. May 24, 2016, Matt de la Peña, The Hunted, Ember, page 150
   I have no problem with nudity. I'm, like, a total nudist. But that's just not my vibe, artistry-wise. A little mystery goes a long way for me. 2022-09-07, Elizabeth Wagmeister, “Can Kelly Clarkson Save Daytime? The Host on Taking Over Ellen’s Spot, Touring Again and Broadway Dreams”, in Variety
5. (informal, preceded by the) Something that is good, trendy, pleasant, or atmospheric; a thing or person with a good vibe.
   Once inside, Clayton wasted no time testing his chemistry with the women, kissing Teddi, Kira, Eliza, Cassidy and Rachel. However, not all of his relationships were so easy — Claire announced to the other contestants that her one-on-one time with Clayton was “not the vibe,” noting that he was too nice for her. 2022-01-03, Erin Crabtree, “‘The Bachelor’ Premiere Recap: Clayton Echard Has 1st Rose Rejected as Salley Quits Before Night 1”, in Us Weekly
   I’ve noticed my attitude just hasn’t been the vibe lately. Yesterday I totally lost it at a restaurant because my pasta was only 18 C, which is two degrees below normal room temperature—like two degrees! How could they? 2022-10-27, Paloma Torres, quoting Potentially Petty/Hot Person, “Advice Column: Am I becoming hotter or just pettier? Paloma Torres answers the age-old question constantly on everyone's minds”, in The Eyeopener, volume 56, number 7, page 3
   “I didn’t know how to feel. I was a little bit shocked, to be honest,” Brown says. “It was not the vibe, you know what I mean? That’s the way I always describe it. It was not good vibes.” 2023-03-21, Logan Murdock, “Jaylen Brown Is Trying to Find a Balance”, in The Ringer
   Substack certainly knows this. It tried to raise last year, seeking $75 million to $100 million from investors. But it had revenue of only $9 million in 2021, and a sky-high valuation on relatively little revenue was not the vibe in 2022. The company gave up. 2023-03-28, Elizabeth Lopatto, “How much money do we think Substack lost last year?”, in The Verge

verb

1. (transitive, colloquial) To stimulate with a vibrator.
   If your usual routine is hammering or vibing your clit for three minutes before you run out the door, try giving yourself five minutes of exploratory time. 2015, Allison Moon, Girl Sex 101, page 49
2. (intransitive, colloquial) To relax and enjoy oneself.
3. (intransitive, colloquial) To agree.
   Besides, even if you don't vibe with his subject matter, he is a style king of West Coast, down-tempo gangsta-pimp music. November 2000, Vibe, volume 8, page 60
   Nia was glad she'd let Rico bring her to the club as she vibed with the fusion of Latin sounds and American hip-hop. 2012, Sam Hunter, Book One: A Makaveli Prince's Novel
   Maria took him through the events of the next morning and his recollection vibed with his statement at the time. 2015, Tony Cavanaugh, Kingdom of the Strong
4. (intransitive, colloquial) To get along; to hit it off.
   Sam started out being someone I totally vibed with on every level. 2012, Nikki Carter, Time to Shine, page 9
   Nervous and shaky but feigning confidence, I completed the interview with ease and even managed to vibe with the country cutie. 2014, Mandy Hale, I've Never Been to Vegas, but My Luggage Has
   It was odd, because there was always one person I didn't vibe with in every office I spent time in, sometimes multiple people like in the case with Amazon. 2016, Steven Barker, Now for the Disappointing Part: A Pseudo-Adult's Decade of Short-Term Jobs
5. (transitive, colloquial) To feel in agreement with; to appreciate.
   He was quoting scriptures and stuff from the bible to me and I actually was vibing it, but I know I'm not down with the whole church thing […] 2014, Catherine Tukes, Hannah's Song, page 57