Vibe
Etymology
A clipping of vibration, popularized in 1960s counterculture (“good vibes,” the Beach Boys’ “Good Vibrations”), drawing on older metaphysical notions of energy. It was revived and remixed in late-2010s internet slang through phrases like “vibe check” and “it’s a vibe.”
noun · /VYBE/
The intangible mood or atmosphere of a person, place, or thing — the feeling it gives off.
What it names
It names the overall impression you register before you can articulate why, the affective read that guides so many real decisions. Its usefulness is exactly its vagueness: “vibe check” and “immaculate vibes” let you treat that gut atmosphere as a real, discussable thing.
Example
On paper the apartment was perfect, but the vibe was off the moment we walked in.
Related idea
Broader than mood: a mood is usually a person’s inner state, while a vibe is the atmosphere a person, place, or thing gives off.