midafternoon

American

[mid-af-ter-noon, -ahf-] / ˈmɪdˌæf tərˈnun, -ˌɑf- /

noun

the part of the afternoon centering approximately on three o'clock; the period approximately halfway between noon and sunset.

adjective

occurring in or pertaining to midafternoon.

a midafternoon nap.

Etymology

Origin of midafternoon

First recorded in 1895–1900; mid- + afternoon

Vocabulary lists containing midafternoon

Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Prefixes: mid-

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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.

See Examples For:

midafternoon

By midafternoon, a stunning shift was taking shape.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026

By midafternoon, a U-haul truck next to the restaurant was filled with donations.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026

The group trekked from northern Georgia—and by midafternoon on the day of their visit they had yet to go on a single ride.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 30, 2026

By midafternoon, shares were trading up nearly 6% at $117 after closing 2.4% higher Tuesday to end their five-day losing run.

From Barron's ● May 20, 2026

The classes began at eight-thirty in the morning and ran until midafternoon.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023