middle distance

noun

1

: a part of a pictorial representation or scene between the foreground and the background

2

: any footrace distance usually from 800 to 1500 meters or from 880 yards to one mile

Examples of middle distance in a Sentence

As I looked out over the water, a small boat appeared in the middle distance.

Recent Examples on the Web

Ugandan middle distance runner Docus Ajok dreamed of being an Olympic champion. —Amy Woodyatt, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2025

Former Kansas track and field middle distance runner Bryce Hoppel has qualified for the World Track and Field Championships for the fourth time. —Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 4 Aug. 2025

Michael Mann–style shots of characters considering their lives while staring into the middle distance at crashing waves or steaming fields of lava are beautiful and plentiful. —Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 Aug. 2025

Half-marathons and marathons have enjoyed a post-pandemic participation boom, but Kram wonders whether Kipyegon’s example could inspire more women to run middle distances. —Andrew Greif, NBC news, 22 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1803, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for middle distance

• coexistence
• nonexistence
• assistance
• consistence
• desistance
• existence
• insistence
• persistence
• resistance
• subsistence
• magnetoresistance