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Synonyms

amid

1 American  
[uh-mid] / əˈmɪd /

preposition

  1. in the middle of; surrounded by; among.

    to stand weeping amid the ruins.

  2. during; in or throughout the course of.

amid- 2 American  

  1. variant of amido- before a vowel.

    amidase.
amid British  
/ əˈmɪd /

preposition

  1. in the middle of; among

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Usage

What’s the difference between amid and amidst? Amid and amidst mean the same thing: in the middle of or during. This can apply to spaces (as in I found my keys amid/amidst all of my other stuff) or situations (as in It was hard to concentrate amid/amidst 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 amid and amidst are completely interchangeable, amid is more commonly used. Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between amid and amidst, including how amidst got that -st.

Etymology

Origin of amid1

before 1000; Middle English amidde, Old English amiddan, for on middan “in (the) middle.” See a- 1, mid 1

Origin of amid-2

First recorded in 1870–75

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.

“Against this backdrop, and amid growing pressure from markets and many of you, our shareholders, key business decisions may soon become unavoidable.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

Former defence secretary and Nato chief Lord Robertson accused the government of "corrosive complacency" amid rising threats around the world.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

Over that period, investors diversified into bond and international stock exchange-traded funds amid an uptick in inflation expectations, skepticism over companies’ spending on artificial-intelligence buildouts, and heightened geopolitical concerns.

From Barron's • Apr. 15, 2026

Bank of Korea Governor nominee Shin Hyun-song said he would prioritize price stability amid uncertainty from the Middle East conflict.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

I stared at him, not knowing amid these unreal happenings whether those were his words or only what I had heard.

From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya

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.