English Reference

Word

amid

US/əˈmɪd/

UK/ɐmˈɪd/

Definitions

01surrounded by

B2

prep. in the middle of or surrounded by other things.

prep. situated in the middle of or surrounded by; often used to describe physical placement within a group or setting.

“The small cottage stood alone amid the tall pine trees.”

“The ruins of the ancient temple were discovered amid the dense undergrowth of the tropical rainforest.”

Literary

Antonyms

02during an event

B2

prep. happening while something else — usually something busy or noisy — is going on.

prep. occurring during or against the backdrop of a specified circumstance or event.

“The minister resigned amid claims that he had lied to the public.”

“The company launched its new product line amid growing concerns about a global economic slowdown.”

Formal

Synonyms

Real-World Examples

“The Israeli PM's remark comes amid signs of growing tension between Israel and the UK's Labour government.”
Al Jazeera · 14 Aug 2026
“Manchester City manager ‌Enzo Maresca has remained tight-lipped about Rodri’s future amid speculation linking their Spain midfielder ⁠with a move to ⁠Barcelona, saying “anything can happen” before the transfer window closes.”
Al Jazeera · 14 Aug 2026
“The Navy Times spoke on the record with one sailor’s wife, identified as Annabelle Loma, who said he had attempted to jump overboard amid what she described as “severe burnout”.”
Al Jazeera · 14 Aug 2026
“However, the sponsorship had come under criticism in recent years amid wider protests over Israel's presence in the contest during the war in Gaza.”
BBC News · 14 Aug 2026

Etymology

From Middle English amidde, Old English on middan, a- + mid.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry

Level
C1 · Advanced
Frequency
Frequent
Updated

Scan code

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English Reference