midst

¹ American  

[midst] / mɪdst /

noun

1. the position of anything surrounded by other things or parts, or occurring in the middle of a period of time, course of action, etc..

   a familiar face in the midst of the crowd;

   in the midst of the performance.

   Synonyms:

   heart, core, thick

   Antonyms:

   periphery, edge

2. the middle point, part, or stage.

   We arrived in the midst of a storm.

   Synonyms:

   heart, core, thick

   Antonyms:

   periphery, edge

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idioms

1. in our / your / their midst, in the midst of or among us (you, them).

   To think there was a spy in our midst!

midst ² American  

[midst] / mɪdst /

preposition

1. amidst.

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midst ¹ British  

/ mɪdst /

noun

1. surrounded or enveloped by; at a point during, esp a climactic one

2. among us

3. archaic the centre

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midst ² British  

/ mɪdst /

preposition

1. poetic See amid

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Related Words

See middle.

Etymology

Origin of midst

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, equivalent to middes (aphetic variant of amiddes “in the middle”) + excrescent -t; amidst

Example Sentences

Vice President JD Vance announced in the midst of the war that he is publishing a book on his embrace of Catholicism called "Communion."

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

Could a patient sue a doctor who counsels against the measles vaccine in the midst of an outbreak?

From Slate • Mar. 31, 2026

Consumers are still in the midst of a tectonic shift in viewing habits, which has left things extremely fragmented in terms of product choice and pricing.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 30, 2026

Along steep and narrow trails, a few rustic taverns for wine guzzling seem incongruous in the midst of all of the ruggedness.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

Lord Fredrick was in the midst of vigorously scolding some unfortunate person; his voice was hoarse and froggy, and now and then he made an odd, sneezy, barky sort of sound.

From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood