midst

noun \ ˈmidst , ˈmitst \

Updated on: 14 Apr 2018

1 : the interior or central part or point : middle

in the midst of the forest

2 : a position of proximity to the members of a group

a traitor in our midst

3 : the condition of being surrounded or beset

in the midst of his troubles

4 : a period of time about the middle of a continuing act or condition

in the midst of a meal

—

midst

preposition

See midst defined for English-language learners

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Examples of midst in a Sentence

The river passes through the midst of the city.
a bustling city in the midst of the desert
We are in the midst of a terrible war.
They were in the midst of remodeling their house.
The region is currently in the midst of a terrible drought.
We never gave up hope in the midst of our troubles.

Recent Examples of midst from the Web

Parker struggling: Tony Parker entered Wednesday’s finale in the midst of one of the roughest stretches of his career.

— jeff mcdonald, San Antonio Express-News, "Ginobili hasn’t ruled out playing again in 2018-19," 11 Apr. 2018
Election Commission officials and officials from the Kane County Clerk’s Office, which will handle Aurora elections in the Kane County portion of the city from here on, are in the midst of transition discussions right now.

— steve lord, Aurora Beacon-News, "Aurora aldermen question referendum-related legal bill," 11 Apr. 2018
The utility is now in the midst of a $200 million clean-up.

— jenny staletovich, miamiherald, "County moves toward using wastewater in FPL canals, but won’t set water standards yet | Miami Herald," 10 Apr. 2018
The Gartz family lived in the neighborhood in the midst of these chaotic changes, similarly confused about what was happening.

— tanner howard, Chicago Reader, "Redlined tells story of one of the last white families in West Garfield Park," 10 Apr. 2018
The Aztecs, who ended spring practice in mid-March, are in the midst of offseason conditioning while completing the spring semester.

— kirk kenney, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Aztecs football team hosts Spring Fan Day on Saturday," 10 Apr. 2018
Billionaire investor Carl Icahn has agreed to sell automotive supplier Federal Mogul to manufacturer Tenneco about a decade after acquiring majority control of the company in the midst of the U.S. auto industry's existential crisis.

— nathan bomey, USA TODAY, "Carl Icahn's Icahn Enterprises sells auto supplier Federal Mogul to Tenneco for $5.4B," 10 Apr. 2018
The Legislature is expected to adjourn its session in the next few weeks and is already in the midst of budget negotiations.

— lily altavena, azcentral, "Arizona teachers plan walkout; date to be announced," 10 Apr. 2018
At the time of his death, Steve was in the midst of raising money to buy a service dog for a disabled boy.

— denise coffey, Courant Community, "Steve Bousquet Memorial Golf Tournament Will Fund Area Scholarships," 10 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'midst.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of midst

Middle English middest, alteration of middes, short for amiddes amid

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First Known Use: 15th century

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midst Synonyms

MIDST Defined for English Language Learners

midst

noun

: the middle area or part of something
: the period of time when something is happening or being done
—used to say that someone is among the people in a group

MIDST Defined for Kids

midst

noun \ ˈmidst \

1 : the middle or central part

in the midst of the forest

2 : a position among the members of a group

a stranger in our midst

3 : the condition of being surrounded

in the midst of dangers

midst

preposition

: amid

Midst the swarm of people, mangy dogs wandered.
—Avi, Crispin

Learn More about midst

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for midst Spanish Central: Translation of midst Nglish: Translation of midst for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of midst for Arabic speakers

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Examples of midst in a Sentence

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MIDST Defined for English Language Learners

midst

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