amidst

[ uh-midst ]

preposition

1. amid.

Word History and Origins

Origin of amidst¹

1250–1300; Middle English amiddes; amid, -s ¹; for -t against, amongst, etc.

Example Sentences

Yvon Guilavogui has four children living amidst an Ebola epidemic in his native Guinea.

From The Daily Beast

Approximately 96,000 trekkers visit Nepal each year to view and walk amidst its spectacular mountains.

From The Daily Beast

Amidst all the pandemonium, the show just carried on to the consternation of some guests.

From The Daily Beast

Ultimately, The Slap becomes something heartwarming amidst the barrage of stinging smacks.

From The Daily Beast

But how did Hard Choices do amidst this mass media onslaught?

From The Daily Beast

In Manila particularly, amidst the pealing of bells and strains of music, unfeigned enthusiasm and joy were everywhere evident.

From Project Gutenberg

And with that the host gave him such a kick as sent him howling into the street, amidst the roars of the company.

From Project Gutenberg

Within were the park and the deer, and the mansion rearing its brilliant columns amidst the redundant groves of a Spanish autumn.

From Project Gutenberg

I felt proud of being married; of being your wife—I did indeed, Val—and I was in a fever to be amidst my world of friends.

From Project Gutenberg

“It would exercise its running powers,” answered Mr. Ryan, amidst great laughter.

From Project Gutenberg

Amidst Vs. Amid

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.

Quiz yourself on amidst vs. amid!

True or False? 

Amidst should only be used in very formal contexts.