Amidst Meaning
/aˈmɪdst/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
prepIn the midst or middle of; surrounded or encompassed by; among.
Sentence Examples
Amidst the chaos, he instantly realized the pointlessness of it all.
I want to live in a big postmodern castle amidst majestic nature.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The flowers bloomed beautifully ____ the ruins of the old castle.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The two countries signed a peace treaty ____ great international tension.
Word Origin & History
From amids + -t (excrescent), from amid + -s (genitive). By surface analysis, amid + -st (excrescent). Root amid from Middle English amidde, amiddes, on midden, from Old English on middan (“in the middle”), from midd (“central”) (English mid).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Be a philosopher ; but amidst all your philosophy, be still a man."
— 1748, [David Hume], chapter 4, in Philosophical Essays Concerning Human Understanding, London: […] A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC:
"Not so, however, with Tarzan, the man-child. His life amidst the dangers of the jungle had taught him to meet emergencies with self-confidence, and his higher intelligence resulted in a quickness of mental action far beyond the powers of the apes."
— 1912 October, Edgar Rice Burroughs, “Tarzan of the Apes”, in The All-Story, New York, N.Y.: Frank A. Munsey Co., →OCLC; republished as chapter 5, in Tarzan of the Apes, New York, N.Y.: A[lbert] L[evi] Burt Company, June 1914, →OCLC:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The flowers bloomed beautifully ____ the ruins of the old castle.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The two countries signed a peace treaty ____ great international tension.