“SMH” stands for “Shaking My Head.” It’s a common internet slang acronym used to express a variety of emotions, such as disappointment, disbelief, frustration, or disapproval. When someone uses “SMH,” they are figuratively indicating that they are shaking their head in response to a situation, statement, or behavior they find disagreeable or perplexing. The acronym is often used in online communication, including text messages, social media posts, and online forums, to convey a reaction without the need for a detailed explanation.
WHO USES SMH?
SMH is very frequently used in diverse forms of digital communication, especially in black internet communities. The abbreviation, however, is now widely familiar in internet culture—and common enough that some people will say SMH in their speech as they might LOL or OMG. SMH is also incorporated grammatically in text (e.g., I’m smh because of his antics).
The tone of SMH often implies an impatience with a perceived unnecessary stupidity of a person or process. SMH is often issued to preface what the user is disappointed or frustrated by (e.g., smh… My flight got cancelled and can’t be rebooked). GIFs of people shaking their heads captioned with smh are popular on GIF keyboards, and can be sent via text message or attached to tweets as a reaction image. The hashtags “#smh” and “#smdh” are popular ways to tag exasperation on social media.
SMH is also intensified, most commonly as smh (shaking my damn head) but also smh (shaking my fucking head), and smith (shaking my motherfucking head).
Less often, SMH will stand for so much hate, showing or commenting on disdain, or scratching my head, used for puzzlement. Internet slang is not be confused with the common abbreviation of the Australian newspaper, The Sydney Morning Herald.
How is SMH used? Use Cases & Examples
Teenagers frequently use this slang term to express scorn or disgust, comparable to the word “lame” or the eye roll emoji. You might also notice the slang variants SMHS
and JSMH,
which mean “shaking my head sadly” and “just shaking my head.”
Examples of how your teen might use the slang term SMH
:
– My dad is threatening to entertain us with his juggling act again.
– SMH
– Aiden thinks dying his hair blue will impress Emma.
– Pathetic smh
– Can you believe my mom won’t even let me go to Madison’s party?
– That’s the worst SMH
How to Identify if your child is using the SMH slang word
You might learn your child is using this slang term by chance when a text pops up on the phone screen. But while the slang term SMH
is harmless, other teenage slang terms could indicate that your teen is talking about risky behaviours or communicating with potentially dangerous people.
Having a parental control app on your child’s phone will give you peace of mind by alerting you to your child’s exposure to risks encountered on their phone. With a parental control app installed on your child’s phone, you have the control to set alerts to help your teen avoid the pitfalls of predators, drug dealers, and other negative influences. Having the ability to vary the level of monitoring gives you the power to choose what is right for your child, and these levels can be adjusted easily at any time.
How to talk with your child about use of the SMH slang word
Initiating a conversation about sensitive topics with your teenager can be tricky.
Here are some examples of how you can open the topic of teenage slang:
- I’m curious about text abbreviations you and your friends use.
OMG
used to be a really common one. - Which initials do you and your friends use to express surprise?
- It’s hard to keep up with the meanings of text abbreviations. Do you ever use initials because you see them used a lot, even if you don’t know exactly what they mean?
- Which do you think is the funniest text abbreviation and why?
- Which abbreviation do you use the most and why?
What Is an Example of 'SMH'?
Some examples of using SMH include:
- “S/U for the most bizarre thing I’ve ever seen – all I can say is smh”
- “IJBOL, what does this even mean?! #SMH”
- “smh, it’s nbd so why is everyone freaking out?”
- “TFW the only right reaction is SMH”
How Do You Respond to 'SMH'?
If someone says “smh” to you, you can choose to respond back either seriously, in jest or agreement. For example, some possible responses include:
- “Unbothered”
- “Nodding my head”
- “IDC”
- “Oh, yeah?”
- “Same, honestly”
- “lol I know”
Frequently Asked Question
It’s commonly used to express disbelief, disappointment, or disapproval. For example, “That was a silly mistake, SMH.”
SMH is informal and is typically used in casual conversations, especially in text messages, social media, or online forums.
Yes, similar expressions include “facepalm,” “headshake,” or “sigh.” Each conveys a sense of disbelief or frustration.
