What does SMH mean on TikTok?

TikTok logo on phoneUnsplash: Solen Feyissa

While browsing your For You Page on TikTok, you might have come across the widely-used acronym ‘SMH.’ Despite its popularity, not everyone knows what it means.

Since the launch of TikTok in 2016, there have been a huge number of different viral trends and challenges to blow up on the short-form video app.

This is coupled with a series of different slang terms that have emerged on the platform, whether they are existing words that have transferred over from other social media sites, or whether they have been created by the TikTok community specifically.

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‘SMH’ is a word that has been around on the internet for a while, and has been used across most social media apps, so it’s no surprise that the acronym made its way onto TikTok as well.

If you’ve ever seen someone use this term in a video, caption, or comment on the short-form platform, here’s everything you need to know about what it means.

TikTok logo and other apps on a phoneUnsplash: Solen Feyissa
TikTok is a hub of the internet’s most viral content.

What does SMH mean on TikTok?

In most cases, SMH stands for ‘shaking my head’ or ‘shake my head.’ The term is primarily used to indicate disappointment and is usually used in response to someone, whether that be a specific comment, or to a referenced scenario.

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Although that is the most common meaning of SMH, there are other things it could also stand for. Examples include ‘so much hate,’ ‘smack my head,’ ‘somehow,’ or ‘send me hugs.’

The meaning of the term will ultimately differ depending on the context of the conversation, but it is a frequently used word on TikTok and beyond.

If you’re struggling to understand some of the most used words on TikTok, such as ‘mid,’ or ‘BFFR,’ then you can check out our slang guide here.

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