Korean slang profile
심멎
simmeot
Heart-stopping
An expression for something so striking or beautiful it seems to stop your heart, also used for surprise or romantic excitement.
- Expanded form
- 심장이 멎다Heart-stopping
- Other spellings
- —
- Earliest source found
- Mar 25, 2015
- Documented trend period
- Around 2014~
This is the earliest source we have verified, not the date the term was coined.
01Examples, with English translations
- Example by Julimmal
갑자기 불러서 심멎할 뻔했어.
You called out so suddenly that my heart nearly stopped.
- Quoted from a source
심멎 심장이 멎을 만큼 멋지거나 아름답다는 말.[1]
심멎 A phrase that is so wonderful or beautiful that it makes your heart stop.
English translation by Julimmal.
02Documented history
- March 2015The National Institute of the Korean Language announced new words in 2014, and Yonhap News introduced ‘심멎’ as ‘a word that is so cool or beautiful that it makes your heart stop.’[1]
03Origin & word formation
Short for 심장이 멎다, meaning the heart stops. Yonhap News's coverage of the National Institute of Korean Language's 2014 new-word announcement explains it as something heart-stoppingly impressive or beautiful. Who first used it and when have not been verified.
Evidence for the origin explanationHigh
The article relays an explanation from a government agency's new-word materials. When the expression was first used is unknown.
04Sources
Original titles and links are preserved. An English translation does not replace the original source.
- '금사빠녀' '꼬돌남' '인생짤'…사회현상 반영한 새 낱말들 (연합뉴스)Published Mar 25, 2015Original source checked Nov 5, 2026