vibe check

A vibe check is a quick, gut-level read on someone’s mood, energy or attitude. You either pass the vibe check (you seem fine, fun or trustworthy) or you fail it.

What people mean by a vibe check

Merriam-Webster describes it as a casual or intuitive assessment of the quality of something or someone. It can be sincere, like asking a friend how they’re really doing, or a joke, like announcing “vibe check” before judging someone’s music taste.

It’s also used for places and situations: a new job, a first date or a party can all get a vibe check.

Examples

• “Quick vibe check: is everyone okay after that meeting?”
• “He failed the vibe check the second he was rude to the waiter.”
• “Did the new apartment pass the vibe check?”
• “Vibe check! Send me the last song you listened to.”

The meme version

Online, “vibe check” is often paired with cartoonishly violent images, such as a character swinging a baseball bat while yelling “vibe check!” According to Know Your Meme, that joke format took off after a Tumblr comic in September 2019. The humour comes from turning a gentle question into an ambush.

Where vibe check comes from

The phrase builds on vibe. Know Your Meme found an Urban Dictionary definition from April 2011, and the earliest example Dictionary.com shows is a tweet from November 2016. Use grew quickly in the early 2020s.

Related terms

• Vibe: the feeling something gives off.
• Red flag: a warning sign about someone.
• Green flag: a good sign about someone.
• Ick: a sudden turn-off.

See more in our Gen Z slang dictionary.