Sheesh

Sheesh is a common term used to exclaim surprise about something good or bad. It is also a TikTok trend where users post videos about impressive literal or satirical accomplishments.

Where did sheesh come from?

The origins of sheesh are unclear, but most sources point to the word originating in the 20th century as a variation of another word like "Jeez," "Jesus," or "S***." People would use it to express their disbelief about something said or done.

Who uses sheesh?

Since the term has been around for many years, people of all ages may use sheesh. They may utter it in person or send it online or in texts to react to something surprising.

Sheesh on TikTok

In March 2021, sheesh went viral on TikTok, a video-sharing social platform. The @meetjulio TikToker posted a video where he poured water on a frog with an audio recording of "sheesh" in a high-pitched voice playing in the background.

This spurned other TikTokers on to post memes about impressive feats with the "sheesh" audio (attributed to "King Julio") and #sheesh tag. Some video memes include bragging about impressive accomplishments, like a suped-up whip. However, most memes involved TikTokers pretending to be excited about something older adults think is cool, like a deck, kitchen backsplash, freshly-cut lawn, or appliance.