midst

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noun \ ˈmidst , ˈmitst \

Definition of midst

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

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midst

preposition

See midst defined for English-language learners

See midst defined for kids

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

The more restrained response may also reflect the fact that North Korea’s move occurred with the U.S. and South Korea in the midst of major annual military exercises, an event that has long infuriated the Pyongyang regime.

— nick wadhams, Bloomberg.com, "Latest North Korea Missile Launch Spurred White House Game Plan," 30 Aug. 2017
In the midst of evacuating, Clingman hadn't heard the uproar about Houston's largest church.

— stephanie kuzydym, chicagotribune.com, "Joel Osteen pushes back against accusations he closed his megachurch to Harvey victims," 30 Aug. 2017
Two SEC West schools have been confronted in the last two months with the unexpected departures of successful head coaches in the midst of allegations swirling around them and their programs.

— kevin scarbinsky, AL.com, "Jay Jacobs fails to communicate on Clint Myers and Auburn softball," 30 Aug. 2017
TBT to 2011, when Gossip Girl was at its peak and Blake Lively and Leonardo Dicaprio were hot and heavy in the midst of their five-month relationship.

— zoe weiner, Glamour, "Blake Lively and Leonardo DiCaprio Had an Interesting Dating Ritual," 30 Aug. 2017
The video shows a man stripping off a white polo shirt in the midst of counterprotests in Charlottesville to camouflage himself in the streets.

— jared michael lowe, Teen Vogue, "How Polo Shirts Became a White Supremacist Uniform," 29 Aug. 2017
Indian Prairie is in the midst of adopting its 2017-18 budget.

— suzanne baker, Naperville Sun, "After Rauner signs funding bill, Naperville-area schools may see state dollars," 29 Aug. 2017
University of Houston men's basketball head coach Kelvin Sampson put out a call for help in the midst of the devastation of Hurricane Harvey, and Xavier's Chris Mack answered the call.

— patrick brennan, Cincinnati.com, "Chris Mack, Xavier answer call for help from Houston, Hurricane Harvey," 29 Aug. 2017
Today’s Northstar comes courtesy of Lisa Maria Falcone, wife of hedge-fund manager Philip Falcone, who is currently in the midst of a time-out from the securities industry.

— bess levin, The Hive, "Trump’s Tariff Tantrum Makes Veruca Salt Look Like the Dalai Lama," 28 Aug. 2017

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

See Words from the same year

midst Synonyms

Synonyms

core, middle, midpoint, center

Antonyms

perimeter, periphery

Related Words

inside, interior

MIDST Defined for English Language Learners

midst

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noun

Definition of midst for English Language Learners

: 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

play

noun \ ˈmidst \

Definition of midst for Students

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

Definition of midst for Students

: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

Recent Examples of midst from the Web

Origin and Etymology of midst

midst Synonyms

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MIDST Defined for English Language Learners

midst

Definition of midst for English Language Learners

MIDST Defined for Kids

midst

Definition of midst for Students

midst

Definition of midst for Students

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