middle

[ mid-l ]

adjective

1. equally distant from the extremes or outer limits; central:

   the middle point of a line; the middle singer in a trio.

   Synonyms: midway, medial, halfway, equidistant

   Antonyms: extreme

2. intermediate or intervening:

   the middle distance.

3. medium or average:

   a man of middle size.

4. (initial capital letter) (in the history of a language) intermediate between periods classified as Old and New or Modern:

   Middle English.

5. Grammar. (in some languages) noting a voice of verb inflection in which the subject is represented as acting on or for itself, in contrast to the active voice in which the subject acts, and the passive voice in which the subject is acted upon, as in Greek, egrapsámēn “I wrote for myself,” égrapsa “I wrote,” egráphēn “I was written.”
6. (often initial capital letter) Stratigraphy. noting the division intermediate between the upper and lower divisions of a period, system, or the like:

   the Middle Devonian.

noun

1. the point, part, position, etc., equidistant from extremes or limits.

   Synonyms: midpoint

   Antonyms: extremity

2. the central part of the human body, especially the waist:

   He gave him a punch in the middle.

3. something intermediate; mean.
4. (in farming) the ground between two rows of plants.

verb (used with or without object)

, mid·dled, mid·dling.

1. Chiefly Nautical. to fold in half.

middle

/ ˈmɪdəl /

adjective

1. equally distant from the ends or periphery of something; central
2. intermediate in status, situation, etc
3. located between the early and late parts of a series, time sequence, etc
4. not extreme, esp in size; medium
5. See passive, active
   (esp in Greek and Sanskrit grammar) denoting a voice of verbs expressing reciprocal or reflexive action Compare active passive
6. usually capital (of a language) intermediate between the earliest and the modern forms

   Middle English

noun

1. an area or point equal in distance from the ends or periphery or in time between the early and late parts
2. an intermediate part or section, such as the waist
3. grammar the middle voice
4. See middle term
   logic See middle term
5. the ground between rows of growing plants
6. a discursive article in a journal, placed between the leading articles and the book reviews
7. cricket a position on the batting creases in alignment with the middle stumps on which a batsman may take guard

verb

1. to place in the middle
2. nautical to fold in two
3. football to return (the ball) from the wing to midfield
4. cricket to hit (the ball) with the middle of the bat

Word History and Origins

Origin of middle¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English, Old English middel; cognate with German mittel; akin to Old Norse methal among. See mid ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of middle¹

Old English middel; compare Old Frisian middel, Dutch middel, German mittel

Idioms and Phrases

see caught in the middle ; in the middle of ; play both ends against the middle .

Synonym Study

Middle, center, midst indicate something from which two or more other things are (approximately or exactly) equally distant. Middle denotes, literally or figuratively, the point or part equidistant from or intermediate between extremes or limits in space or in time: the middle of a road. Center, a more precise word, is ordinarily applied to a point within circular, globular, or regular bodies, or wherever a similar exactness appears to exist: the center of the earth; it may also be used metaphorically (still suggesting the core of a sphere): center of interest. Midst usually suggests that a person or thing is closely surrounded or encompassed on all sides, especially by that which is thick or dense: the midst of a storm.

Example Sentences

Tropical storms Teddy and Vicky are still out in the middle of the Atlantic.

From Popular-Science

We’re are in the middle of a global pandemic, but we’re also in the midst of a racial pandemic where racism is being normalized.

From Voice of San Diego

So, I think we’re getting to the place where we’re in the middle of this storm, which will allow us to see much clearer who we are, who we want to be, and who we are destined to be.

From Essence.com

The study found that a tool made by Lunit AI and used in certain hospitals in South Korea finished in the middle of the pack of radiologists it was tested against.

From MIT Technology Review

Right in the middle of the paragraph, Hightower breaks away from the subject of affidavits for two sentences.

From Voice of San Diego

According to Pew, 14 of the 20 countries in the Middle East and North Africa have blasphemy laws.

From The Daily Beast

In the middle of all of that past suffering and present-day conflict, this Cosby bomb was dropped.

From The Daily Beast

And, especially when it comes to the middle, personality counts.

From The Daily Beast

The same picture emerges from middle class men in the U.S., Canada, and the Nordic countries.

From The Daily Beast

As a white, educated, Western, middle-class male, I possess most of the unearned privilege the world has to offer.

From The Daily Beast

She looked so sweet when she said it, standing and smiling there in the middle of the floor, the door-way making a frame for her.

From Project Gutenberg

Suddenly, however, he became aware of a small black spot far ahead in the very middle of the unencumbered track.

From Project Gutenberg

The Seven-score and four on the six middle Bells, the treble leading, and the tenor lying behind every change, makes good Musick.

From Project Gutenberg

When we speak against one capital vice, we ought to speak against its opposite; the middle betwixt both is the point for virtue.

From Project Gutenberg

Dinner occurred in the middle of the day, and about nine in the evening was an informal but copious supper.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• heart
• midst