Sm

While SM can refer to many things, three prominent meanings are sadomasochism, the South Korean entertainment company SM Entertainment, and the internet slang so much.

How is SM pronounced?

Sadomasochism is a sexual practice involving getting pleasure for causing (sadism) and experiencing (masochism) pain and humiliation. The term dates to the early 1900s and shortened forms, including SM and S&M are from the 1960s.

SM is commonly seen in BDSM (Bondage, Discipline or Dominance, Sadism, and Masochism), which involves a wide range of sexual practices and forms a sexual community. SM got more mainstream attention in 2010 with Rihanna’s single “S&M” and again in 2011 with the hit book 50 Shades of Grey, which was made into a film in 2015. Both deal with sexual pleasure from power and pain.

In 1995, Lee Soo-man founded SM Entertainment, which went on to form some of the biggest acts in the massively popular genre of K-pop, including EXO and Red Velvet. This SM has been said to stand for Star Music, though it may additionally stand for its founder’s name, Soo-man.

Online, SM, or sm, can stand for so much (e.g, I love you sm). It’s hard to track down the first instances of these types of acronyms, but SM likely took off in the 1990s and 2000s with the rise of texting, chatrooms, forums, and social media.

The acronym SM for sadomasochism may be used by its practitioners or its psychologists. As noted, SM is half of BDSM. Online, expect a lot of SM to link to pornography.

Fans of K-pop or professionals in the music industry may discuss SM Entertainment, especially in the context of its artists. SM is frequently used on its own to refer to the company.

Jongdae's stylist did the most that day if they didn't get a raise for this masterpiece I'll fight SM my damn self pic.twitter.com/JzAIeTZrVQ

— chentube update when (@smolkjd) October 29, 2018

SM for so much is usually written as sm in texts and online.

This content is not meant to be a formal definition of this term. Rather, it is an informal summary that seeks to provide supplemental information and context important to know or keep in mind about the term’s history, meaning, and usage.