mid

What does mid mean?

Mid is the verdict for the vast middle: not terrible, not great, technically fine, worth no discussion. It is a small word with a large sting, because it dismisses rather than attacks, and that is measured in reactions: reviews, albums and fast food chains have all seen entire comment sections reduced to the word. Famous things get called mid the most, a tax on hype.

Where does mid come from?

The shortening of middle into a verdict spread on Twitter in 2020 and 2021, where ranking culture and music arguments needed a single word to end debates. By 2021 it was everywhere, and the pattern has held: the more something is hyped, the more comments will call it mid, because the word works best exactly when nobody can argue that it is bad.

How to use mid

• The food was fine, the playlist was mid, and the view did all the work.
• Saying the new album is mid in that group chat is a declaration of war.