midst

midst — noun

1. the area or position that has people or objects on all sides of it, placing you

1.nounB2
Definition

the area or position that has people or objects on all sides of it, placing you near the centre of that group

Example

Aoi found herself in the midst of a cheering crowd at the concert.

in the midst of + [group noun] for physical location

The old wooden cabin stood in the midst of a dense pine forest.

in the midst of + [place noun] for surroundings

Common collocations
  • in the midst of
  • in our midst
  • in their midst
  • in its midst
  • in the very midst
Synonyms
  • middle

    more general and everyday; 'midst' is more literary and suggests being surrounded

  • centre

    focuses on the exact midpoint; 'midst' implies a broader area among things

  • heart

    adds emotional warmth; 'the heart of the city' feels alive, while 'midst' stays neutral

Antonyms
  • edge

    the outer boundary rather than the surrounded area

  • periphery

    formal term for the outer edge of a group or area

Grammar Patterns

in the midst of [noun phrase]

in [possessive] midst

Usage Note

Frequently appears in fixed phrases like 'in the midst of' and 'in our/their midst'. The possessive form ('in our midst', 'in their midst') does not use a determiner after the possessive.

Common Mistakes

He stood in middle of the crowd.
He stood in the midst of the crowd.
'in the midst of' is the standard fixed phrase; 'in middle of' drops the required article.

2. the period when an event, activity, or situation is actively happening, often at

2.nounB2
Definition

the period when an event, activity, or situation is actively happening, often at its busiest or most intense point

Example

Hamza called me in the midst of a very important client presentation.

in the midst of + [activity noun] for ongoing event

The village was in the midst of celebrating its annual rice harvest festival.

Common collocations
  • in the midst of a crisis
  • in the midst of a war
  • in the midst of a recession
  • in the midst of preparations
  • in the midst of a debate
Synonyms
  • middle of

    less formal and more general; 'in the middle of cooking' vs 'in the midst of a crisis'

  • amid

    preposition, not noun; 'amid the chaos' is shorter and slightly more formal

  • during

    simpler and more common; lacks the sense of being at the busiest point

Antonyms
  • before

    the time preceding the event rather than during it

  • after

    the time following the event rather than during it

Grammar Patterns

in the midst of [noun phrase describing activity]

Idioms

in their/our/its/your midst

idiom

Being among a particular group of people.

The new teacher felt welcome in our midst from day one.

A famous author was sitting quietly in their midst.

in the midst of (doing) something

idiom

While something is happening or while you are doing something.

He called me in the midst of cooking dinner.

The city was in the midst of a severe storm.

midst — preposition

Word family

  • amid
    prepositionB2
  • amidst
    prepositionC1
  • mid
    adjectiveB2
  • middle
    nounA2
  • midsection
    nounC1
  • midpoint
    nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe a central position, but they differ in connotation and scope. 'Middle' is the most general and everyday term: it refers to the point or area equally distant from the edges of something ('the middle of the table', 'the middle of the road'). 'Centre' implies a more precise midpoint and often carries geometric or organisational weight ('the centre of the city', 'the centre of attention'). 'Heart' adds emotional warmth and vitality — the heart is the most important or lively part ('the heart of the community', 'the heart of the matter'). 'Core' suggests the essential, innermost part of something, often abstract ('the core of the argument', 'the core values'). 'Midst' differs from all four because it emphasises being surrounded rather than being at an exact centre. You can be 'in the midst of a crowd' even if you are not at its geometric centre; you are simply among the people. Use 'middle' for everyday positions, 'centre' for precision, 'heart' for warmth, 'core' for essentials, and 'midst' when the focus is on being surrounded or immersed.

middle ↗centre ↗heart ↗core ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • in the midst of
  • in our midst
  • in their midst
  • in the very midst

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishModern English

The word 'midst' comes from Middle English 'middest', which was formed by adding the superlative suffix '-est' to 'mid' (meaning 'middle'), creating a word that originally meant 'the very middle'. Over time the '-est' ending was reanalysed as the '-st' we now have. The form is related to Old English 'mid' and 'midd', and to German 'Mitte' (middle) and Dutch 'midden'. The prepositional use without 'in' (simply 'midst' meaning 'among') developed later in literary English.