What does SMH mean? 🤦‍♀️ on Facebook, on Instagram, in Texting

Have you ever been texting your friend, and suddenly they use the abbreviation SMH?

If you have never seen it before, it’s 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 🤦‍♂️

English	Shaking my head
Spanish	sacudiendo la cabeza
French	en secouant la tête
Italian	scuotendo la testa
German	kopfschüttelnd
Portuguese	a abanar a minha cabeça
Russian	качаю головой
Chinese	摇头
Japanese	首を縦に振って
Polish	potrząsając głową

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 “shaking my head” 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 países, el uso americano de SMH muestra decepción.
French	Le mouvement de secouer la tête peut signifier différentes choses dans différents pays, l’usage américain de SMH montre la déception.
Italian	Il movimento di scuotere la testa può significare cose diverse in paesi diversi, l’uso americano di SMH mostra delusione.
German	Die Bewegung des Kopfschüttelns kann in verschiedenen Ländern unterschiedliche Dinge bedeuten, die amerikanische Verwendung von SMH zeigt Enttäuschung.
Portuguese	O movimento de abanar a cabeça pode significar coisas diferentes em países diferentes, o uso americano de SMH mostra desapontamento.
Russian	Движение качания головой может означать разные вещи в разных странах, американское использование SMH показывает разочарование.
Chinese	摇头的动作在不同的国家可能有不同的含义，美国人用SMH表示失望。
Japanese	頭を振る動きは国によって意味が違うかもしれませんが、アメリカでのSMHの使い方は失望感を示しています。
Polish	Ruch potrząsania głową może oznaczać różne rzeczy w różnych krajach, amerykańskie użycie 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, “S M H” 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	Podría haber invertido el dinero, y sin embargo Tom eligió gastar el dinero en un coche inútil. SMH.
French	Il aurait pu investir l’argent, et pourtant Tom a choisi de dépenser l’argent 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 für ein nutzloses Auto auszugeben. SMH.
Portuguese	Ele poderia ter investido o dinheiro, e no entanto Tom optou por gastar o dinheiro num carro inútil. SMH.
Russian	Он мог бы вложить деньги, но Том решил потратить их на бесполезную машину. SMH.
Chinese	他本可以把钱投资，然而汤姆却选择把钱花在一辆没用的车上。SMH。
Japanese	彼はお金を投資することもできたのに、トムは役に立たない車にお金を使うことを選んだ。SMH.
Polish	Mógł zainwestować te pieniądze, a jednak Tom zdecydował się wydać je na bezużyteczny samochód. SMH.

As you can see with these examples, SMH does not exactly mean to shake one’s 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.

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