Amidst
/əˈmɪdst/
prepositionIntermediate📊CommonGeneral
1 meaning2 questions
Definitions
1
In the middle of; surrounded by.
/əˈmɪdst/
prepositionneutralIntermediate
General
Surrounded by; in the middle of.
Amidst the cheering crowd, the winner raised the trophy.
💡 Simply: In the middle of things.
More Examples
2
Amidst the storm, the ship struggled to stay afloat.
How It's Used
Literary
"Amidst the chaos, she remained calm."
Descriptive
"Amidst the tall trees, a small cabin was visible."
From Old English *on middan, literally "in the middle". It evolved through Middle English and reflects the prepositional use indicating 'surrounded by'.
While its roots are ancient, 'amidst' has seen its usage shift somewhat, becoming more prevalent in formal written contexts compared to spoken English.
Memory tip
Imagine being 'mid' the action, surrounded by it.
Word Origin
Original meaning
"in the middle"
amidst the chaosamidst the crowdamidst the confusion
Common misspellings
amdistamidtsamids
Practice
Usage
10%Spoken
90%Written