midst
1 Americannoun
-
the position of anything surrounded by other things or parts, or occurring in the middle of a period of time, course of action, etc..
a familiar face in the midst of the crowd;
in the midst of the performance.
-
the middle point, part, or stage.
We arrived in the midst of a storm.
idioms
preposition
noun
-
surrounded or enveloped by; at a point during, esp a climactic one
-
among us
-
archaic the centre
preposition
Related Words
See middle.
Etymology
Origin of midst
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, equivalent to middes (aphetic variant of amiddes “in the middle”) + excrescent -t; see also amidst
Explanation
Midst describes something that's among, in the middle of, or surrounded by. After the school talent show, your principal said he didn't know there were so many gifted singers in our midst. Midst sounds a lot like mist, the fog that rolls in and can fill a place. Midst carries this same sense of being surrounded or placed in the middle of. It can be physical, like being in the midst of great athletes at the hockey game, or in regard to time, like the team captain breaking his foot in the midst of playoffs.
Vocabulary lists containing midst
Lesson 12
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Unit 3, Week 2
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Bye Forever, I Guess
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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 the midst of the soccer World Cup in Germany in 2006, 35-year-old Roger Bennett found himself at the wedding of a friend in Lake Placid, N.Y.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026
The sector has faced challenges in recent times, with several companies in Stoke-on-Trent collapsing in the midst of issues, including rising energy costs and competition from abroad.
From BBC • May 21, 2026
"The WHO had to, and was able to, undergo profound reform in the midst of the emergency."
From Barron's • May 18, 2026
Maybe some choose to marvel at this one-in-a-lifetime behemoth stuck in our midst and ignore the stink.
From Salon • May 14, 2026
The admiral wiggled and kicked, which made him swing wildly, like a piñata in the midst of being beaten.
From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood
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.
