
Have you ever been texting your friend, and suddenly they use the abbreviation SMH?
If you have never seen it before, itโs very difficult to know what it means. Is it good, or is it bad? Is your friend disappointed in something, or are they excited about it?
Abbreviations like SMH are usually used in a short text, such as CNN today, SMH with very little context. This makes it hard for you to understand the meaning just by guessing.
SMH is an acronym
SMH meaning
SMH means SHAKING MY HEAD ๐คฆโโ๏ธ
English ![]() | Shaking my head |
Spanish![]() | sacudiendo la cabeza |
French![]() | en secouant la tรชte |
Italian![]() | scuotendo la testa |
German![]() | kopfschรผttelnd |
Portuguese![]() | a abanar a minha cabeรงa |
Russian![]() | ะบะฐัะฐั ะณะพะปะพะฒะพะน |
Chinese![]() | ๆๅคด |
Japanese![]() | ้ฆใ็ธฆใซๆฏใฃใฆ |
Polish![]() | potrzฤ sajฤ c gลowฤ |
Unlike most abbreviations SMH is not used in place of the words, shaking my head.

Instead, it is used almost like an add on to a thought or idea, the way that stage directions are inserted between dialogue to let the actors know what they should be doing.
Most people do not actually say โshaking my headโ in texts or while speaking, but SMH is commonly used among the younger generation.
Because texts lack the component of body language, phrases like SMH make up for that by showing the reader or listener what the speaker or writer actually means.
SMH means disappointment

While the motion of shaking your head may mean different things in different places, the American usage of SMH shows disappointment.
English ![]() | The motion of shaking your head may mean different things in different countries, the American usage of SMH shows disappointment. |
Spanish![]() | El movimiento de sacudir la cabeza puede significar cosas diferentes en distintos paรญses, el uso americano de SMH muestra decepciรณn. |
French![]() | Le mouvement de secouer la tรชte peut signifier diffรฉrentes choses dans diffรฉrents pays, lโusage amรฉricain de SMH montre la dรฉception. |
Italian![]() | Il movimento di scuotere la testa puรฒ significare cose diverse in paesi diversi, lโuso americano di SMH mostra delusione. |
German![]() | Die Bewegung des Kopfschรผttelns kann in verschiedenen Lรคndern unterschiedliche Dinge bedeuten, die amerikanische Verwendung von SMH zeigt Enttรคuschung. |
Portuguese![]() | O movimento de abanar a cabeรงa pode significar coisas diferentes em paรญses diferentes, o uso americano de SMH mostra desapontamento. |
Russian![]() | ะะฒะธะถะตะฝะธะต ะบะฐัะฐะฝะธั ะณะพะปะพะฒะพะน ะผะพะถะตั ะพะทะฝะฐัะฐัั ัะฐะทะฝัะต ะฒะตัะธ ะฒ ัะฐะทะฝัั ัััะฐะฝะฐั , ะฐะผะตัะธะบะฐะฝัะบะพะต ะธัะฟะพะปัะทะพะฒะฐะฝะธะต SMH ะฟะพะบะฐะทัะฒะฐะตั ัะฐะทะพัะฐัะพะฒะฐะฝะธะต. |
Chinese![]() | ๆๅคด็ๅจไฝๅจไธๅ็ๅฝๅฎถๅฏ่ฝๆไธๅ็ๅซไน๏ผ็พๅฝไบบ็จSMH่กจ็คบๅคฑๆใ |
Japanese![]() | ้ ญใๆฏใๅใใฏๅฝใซใใฃใฆๆๅณใ้ใใใใใใพใใใใใขใกใชใซใงใฎSMHใฎไฝฟใๆนใฏๅคฑๆๆใ็คบใใฆใใพใใ |
Polish![]() | Ruch potrzฤ sania gลowฤ moลผe oznaczaฤ rรณลผne rzeczy w rรณลผnych krajach, amerykaลskie uลผycie SMH pokazuje rozczarowanie. |
Sometimes, this disappointment may be less serious and combined with a sense of amusement.

The abbreviation SMH is usually used by young people in texts, but in some cases, it is also spoken out loud. If this happens, the speaker will say, โS M Hโ and pronounce each of the letters separately.
Like many other abbreviations, including FTW, SMH is often used in a sentence alone with the subject of the phrase. Because it expresses a complete thought, it can also be used as a complete sentence.
SMH Examples
- Did Alex really do that? SMH.
- There are so many other things that he could have done with that money, and yet Tom chose to blow the money on some useless car. SMH.
- I really should have known better. A coffee date, SMH.
English ![]() | He could have invested the money, and yet Tom chose to spend the money on a useless car. SMH. |
Spanish![]() | Podrรญa haber invertido el dinero, y sin embargo Tom eligiรณ gastar el dinero en un coche inรบtil. SMH. |
French![]() | Il aurait pu investir lโargent, et pourtant Tom a choisi de dรฉpenser lโargent pour une voiture inutile. SMH. |
Italian![]() | Avrebbe potuto investire i soldi, eppure Tom ha scelto di spendere i soldi per una macchina inutile. SMH. |
German![]() | Er konnt das Geld investieren, und doch entschied sich Tom, das Geld fรผr ein nutzloses Auto auszugeben. SMH. |
Portuguese![]() | Ele poderia ter investido o dinheiro, e no entanto Tom optou por gastar o dinheiro num carro inรบtil. SMH. |
Russian![]() | ะะฝ ะผะพะณ ะฑั ะฒะปะพะถะธัั ะดะตะฝัะณะธ, ะฝะพ ะขะพะผ ัะตัะธะป ะฟะพััะฐัะธัั ะธั ะฝะฐ ะฑะตัะฟะพะปะตะทะฝัั ะผะฐัะธะฝั. SMH. |
Chinese![]() | ไปๆฌๅฏไปฅๆ้ฑๆ่ต๏ผ็ถ่ๆฑคๅงๅด้ๆฉๆ้ฑ่ฑๅจไธ่พๆฒก็จ็่ฝฆไธใSMHใ |
Japanese![]() | ๅฝผใฏใ้ใๆ่ณใใใใจใใงใใใฎใซใใใ ใฏๅฝนใซ็ซใใชใ่ปใซใ้ใไฝฟใใใจใ้ธใใ ใSMH. |
Polish![]() | Mรณgล zainwestowaฤ te pieniฤ dze, a jednak Tom zdecydowaล siฤ wydaฤ je na bezuลผyteczny samochรณd. SMH. |
As you can see with these examples, SMH does not exactly mean to shake oneโs head. However, it does show that the speaker is shaking their head, probably in disappointment.
In some cases, such as the first example, there can also be a hint of amusement.
Learn English for FREE
- 27 Meanings of Most Common Text Abbreviations [Image]
- What does TBH mean? โบโบ on Facebook, on Instagram, in Textingโฆ
- 55 Most Commonly Used British and American Slang Words and Their Meanings
- 20 Different Ways to Say Good Morning!
- Different Ways to Say BYE BYE!
- Are Idioms and Expressions the same thing?
- What Does IDK mean in Text? ๐คทโโ๏ธ 35 Ways to Say IDK
- What does EU mean?
- 50 ๐ ๐ Most Common Text Abbreviations [Image]
- Facebooking Definition & FCBK Meaning
- What does DOA mean?
- What does LB mean?
- what is okay short for?
- What Does GOP Stand For?
- What does IPA Beer mean? IPA Beer Definition:
- NSFW Meaning โข๏ธ๐จโ๐ฌ What does NSFW mean in TEXT?
- What Does WCW Mean?
- Us or U.S.?
- What does IMK mean?
- What does OBO mean? OBO Definition:
SMASH LIKE SLAPPERS
Could it mean SOMEHOW?
I thought SMH means So Much Hate.
I though it means somehow
This is gonna be my fav reaction for a while
Iโm shaking my head about how much time I needed to find out what this is mean.
Omg finally!!! I always wanted to know what it means and found that it means โshaking my headโ but I still couldnโt understand what that meant or how I could use it. Thank you for explaining it! ๐
I thought smh means smell my hands ๐
I think SMH means SMASH MY HEAD or SO MUCH HATE.