amidst
Americanpreposition
Usage
What’s the difference between amidst and amid? Amidst and amid mean the same thing: in the middle of or during. This can apply to spaces (as in I found my keys amidst/amid all of my other stuff) or situations (as in It was hard to concentrate amidst/amid all the chaos). Amid is the older and original form of the word. The -st ending (which is the same one found in other words like whilst and against) does not change the meaning. The same thing applies to among and amongst (which can mean the same thing as amid and amidst). Contrary to popular misconceptions, amidst is not the British English version of amid. Although amidst and amid are completely interchangeable, amid is more commonly used. Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between amidst and amid, including how amidst got that -st.
Etymology
Origin of amidst
1250–1300; Middle English amiddes; see amid, -s 1; for -t see against, amongst, etc.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Amidst the tarps and makeshift barbecue, a lady named Maggie said she is hoping to find somewhere permanent after 10 years on the street.
From Barron's • Jun. 7, 2026
Amidst the oral argument’s discussion of recall and what makes a ballot final, Caren Short of the League of Women Voters was disappointed how little they discussed potential impacts on voters.
From Salon • Mar. 27, 2026
Amidst a deafening roar, UltraServers packed with 144 of the Trainium AI-accelerator chips were being put through their paces at Annapurna in a routine check prior to delivery.
From Barron's • Feb. 27, 2026
Amidst these headlines are people just like Molina and Arregui — activists, artists and human beings — finding their own ways to survive and resist an increasingly paranoid and repressive government.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 23, 2025
Many Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws had taken sides too; Amidst all the yelling and clapping Harry could distinctly hear the roar of Luna Lovegood’s famous lion-topped hat.
From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
