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; amid, -s 1; for -t 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.
In between that and bites of food that was our favorite — hardly able to enjoy it amidst the tension — he pulled something else from his memory bank to share about me, neither of us knowing that it would be one of our final moments face to face before he died of a heart attack, alone on his bathroom floor, just a few months later.
From Salon
What the recent selling pressure indicates says Chronert is the “emerging theme that amidst the AI boom we’re also starting to see more concerns about AI disruption on existing business models” over the longer term.
From MarketWatch
This all aligns with Citi’s view for 2026, he adds, which will contain periods of volatility amidst a still “very constructive backdrop…in terms of the price action for U.S. equities.”
From MarketWatch
Precious metals like gold and silver have rallied recently as investors seek a safe haven asset amidst geopolitical uncertainty across the world, although there are more factors that affect silver's price than other metals.
From BBC
Amidst throngs of happy people Sadako forgot her secret for a while.
From Literature
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.
