קסם בצנצנת: בובה מהממת יוצאת מהמים

What does “mehamem” mean in Hebrew?

Kids shake a jar until a toy “doll” magically swells out of the water, and the reaction is pure Israeli enthusiasm: «איזה מהממת!» (“how stunning!”). מהמם (mehamem, feminine מהממת) means “stunning, gorgeous, amazing.”

It’s one of Israel’s favorite superlatives, applied to a sunset, an outfit, a meal, or a person with equal ease: “את נראית מהמם” (“you look stunning”). It comes from the root for a blow or daze (הלם, “shock”), so something mehamem quite literally bowls you over. High praise, and Israelis hand it out generously.