Miskeen
Describes a person or situation as pathetic, sad, or pitiful. One of the clearest markers of Toronto slang's Somali/Arabic influence, and it got a huge mainstream spotlight when Drake tattooed the word above his eye in 2023.
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How it's used
This is the vocabulary for when something, or someone, isn't hitting right.
“He got left on read for a week — that's kind of miskeen.”
Where it comes from
Origin: Arabic word ("miskin," meaning poor/unfortunate) that entered Toronto slang through the city's large Somali community. It's part of the Somali- and Arabic-rooted vocabulary that entered Toronto slang through the city's East African and Middle Eastern communities. Read more in our history of Toronto slang.
Sources
Specific source for this entry: Billboard Canada — "Drake Got New Face Ink Featuring a Common Hometown Arabic Slang Phrase". General research sources for the whole dictionary are listed in SOURCES.md.
This word is a possible Torontle answer — the Wordle-style game built from this dictionary.
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