amid
preposition
in the middle of; surrounded by; among.
amid
1 American
[uh-mid]
/ əˈmɪd /
preposition
-
in the middle of; surrounded by; among.
to stand weeping amid the ruins.
-
during; in or throughout the course of.
amid-
2
American
amid
British
/ əˈmɪd /
preposition
Usage
What’s the difference between amid and amidst? Amid and amidst mean the same thing: in the middle of or during. This can apply to spaces (as in I found my keys amid/amidst all of my other stuff) or situations (as in It was hard to concentrate amid/amidst 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 amid and amidst are completely interchangeable, amid is more commonly used. Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between amid and amidst, including how amidst got that -st.
Etymology
Origin of amid1
before 1000; Middle English amidde, Old English amiddan, for on middan “in (the) middle.” See a- 1, mid 1
Origin of amid-2
First recorded in 1870–75
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.
The incident comes amid warnings up and down the coast of high tides and strong surf, boosted by El Niño conditions in the water, causing rip tides and other dangerous conditions.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 10, 2026
Anthropic sets an estimated IPO price range amid febrile time for artificial intelligence stocks as Nvidia shares and Dow futures rise.
From Barron's ● Nov. 10, 2026
The last time the SEC’s enforcement yield came in under $2 billion it was amid the turmoil over how to respond to failing brokerages and banks during the financial crisis of 2008.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 10, 2026
But amid the wail of near constant air raid warnings, there are still signs of people clinging on to life here.
From BBC ● Nov. 10, 2026
Our ‘ōhi‘a lehua, with bright red flowers exploding like fireworks amid the dusty green leaves.
From "Clairboyance" by Kristiana Kahakauwila
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
