HMS (Slang)

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About

HMS is an acronym and slang term for "Hanging Myself." The expression appeared online as early as the mid-2010s and was popularized on social media platforms such as TikTok and Snapchat around the early 2020s. Similar to "KMS," it's often used as a joke or dark humor, especially in content related to dealing with stress or other mental health issues.

Origin

The exact first use of HMS as "hanging myself" is unknown but entries on various slang sites began appearing around early 2014, like the one posted on the Acronyms and Slang^[1] website on February 22nd, 2014. The post (shown below) explains the acronym is an abbreviation for "Hanging My Self."

SLANG Internet Slang, SMS, Texting & Chat HMS means Hanging My Self by acronymsandslang.com

Spread

The abbreviation "HMS" is often used as a joke by those who use dark humor as a coping mechanism for going through stress or mental issues, which is largely how it spread online going into the 2020s. For instance, on December 6th, 2022, TikToker^[4] @the_mighty_bismarck posted a video with the overlay text saying "When you realize 'HMS' could also mean as 'Heavy Metal Ships,'" which amassed roughly 5,000 plays and 314 likes in nine months (shown below).

@the_mighty_bismarck Heavy Metal Shipgirls #azurlane #azurlanememe #warshipsintowaifus #anime #animememe #fyp ♬ original sound – The MIGHTY Bismarck

On July 22nd, 2023, writer Ellissa Bain wrote an article for HITC^[5] explaining how the slang resurfaced on TikTok and Snapchat during the summer of 2023, noting how the term is also similar to the "KMS" acronym ("Kill Myself").

For example, TikToker^[2] @sigma__studio posted a clip from the Spider-Man 3 movie paired with the caption "I'm gonna kms" (shown below, left), which amassed over 5.7 million plays and 1.7 million likes in four months. On April 7th, 2023, TikToker^[3] @yohanuja uploaded a video (shown below, right) paired with the overlay text "If you leave I'm gonna kms," which amassed roughly 1.3 million plays and 273,000 likes in five months.

@sigma__studio Im gonna kms #sigma_studio #sigma #americanpsycho #patrickbateman #real #spiderman #fyp #meme #spiderman3 ♬ NARCISSISTIC PERSONALITY DISORDER – Odetari