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English word origin

Etymology of ahegao

From Japanese アヘ顔(がお) (ahegao), from アヘアヘ (aheahe, “panting”) + 顔(かお) (kao, “face”).

1 source sectionBrief source recordWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 1 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Unnumbered source etymology

Original entry ↗
noun

An exaggerated facial expression consisting of flushed cheeks, rolled-back eyes, and the tongue hanging out, intended to depict a person having an orgasm.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Japanese アヘ顔(がお) (ahegao), from アヘアヘ (aheahe, “panting”) + 顔(かお) (kao, “face”).

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ja",
        "3": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Japanese"
    },
    {
      "name": "ja-r",
      "args": {
        "1": "アヘ顔",
        "2": "アヘがお"
      },
      "expansion": "アヘ顔(がお) (ahegao)"
    },
    {
      "name": "ja-r",
      "args": {
        "1": "アヘアヘ",
        "2": "",
        "3": "panting"
      },
      "expansion": "アヘアヘ (aheahe, “panting”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "ja-r",
      "args": {
        "1": "顔",
        "2": "かお",
        "3": "face"
      },
      "expansion": "顔(かお) (kao, “face”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "アヘ顔(がお)",
      "アヘ顔#Japanese"
    ],
    [
      "アヘアヘ",
      "アヘアヘ#Japanese"
    ],
    [
      "顔(かお)",
      "顔#Japanese"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "An exaggerated facial expression consisting of flushed cheeks, rolled-back eyes, and the tongue hanging out, intended to depict a person having an orgasm."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Japanese",
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ],
      "recordId": "ffa1beb719916a9e6ef9e9fb15de2cc9753a3df6ead08ecf4117028fcafa93c1",
      "rawRecordSha256": "b1e8a09094bc7c9d0321d046d0dcc09a79411132c055470fb15113849b962ef0",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 3694231
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for ahegao →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-YWhlZ2Fv