amid
gb/əmˈɪd/ us/əmˈɪd/
B2
English
~ 2500
Senses
0 senses
preposition
B2
relation
1
in the middle of
In the middle of or surrounded by something.
Usage pattern:
amid [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'amid' with 'among'; 'amid' is often used for abstract situations or dramatic contexts, while 'among' is for groups of people or things.
Synonyms
among (Similar meaning, but 'among' is more common in everyday speech and can refer to people or objects without implying a dramatic situation.)
|
surrounded by (Describes being encircled physically or figuratively; less formal.)
Antonyms
outside (Indicates being beyond or away from something instead of inside or surrounded by it.)
Collocations
amid chaos
|amid the crowd
|amid growing concerns
|amid protests
|amid tensions
Themes
time
|space
|events
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The president spoke amid loud applause.
- She found herself calm amid the confusion.
- Amid the ruins, a single flower bloomed.
- The city remained peaceful amid the political turmoil.
Learner examples
- She stood amid the trees.
- I saw him amid the crowd.
- We stayed calm amid the noise.
- The school stayed open amid the storm.
preposition
B2
relation
2
during a situation
Happening while another event is going on.
Usage pattern:
amid [event/situation]
Common mistake:
Learners may overuse 'during' instead of 'amid', missing the slightly more formal and literary tone of 'amid'.
Synonyms
during (A more general and less formal term for the same time frame.)
Antonyms
before (Indicates time prior to an event rather than during it.)
Collocations
amid a crisis
|amid celebrations
|amid negotiations
|amid a scandal
Themes
time
|events
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Production continued amid the workers' strike.
- The company grew rapidly amid fierce competition.
- He stayed positive amid personal challenges.
Learner examples
- He worked amid the meeting.
- She smiled amid the party.
- They talked amid the music.
Grammar
Expressions
amid growing concerns
1/əmˈɪd ɡɹˈoʊɪŋ kənsˈɚnz/
fixed phrase
during increasing worries
Happening while people are becoming more worried about something.
Examples
- The law was passed amid growing concerns about public safety.
- The decision came amid growing concerns over climate change.
amid protests
2/əmˈɪd pɹˈoʊtɛsts/
fixed phrase
during public demonstrations
While people are publicly showing they are against something.
Examples
- The bill was withdrawn amid protests from students.
- The leader resigned amid protests in the capital.
amid speculation
3/əmˈɪd spˌɛkjəlˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
during widespread guesses
While many people are guessing or talking about what might happen.
Examples
- The CEO resigned amid speculation about the company's future.
- The market fell amid speculation over interest rate changes.
amid the chaos
4/əmˈɪd ðə kˈeɪɑs/
fixed phrase
in the middle of disorder
In the middle of a very confused and noisy situation.
Examples
- Amid the chaos, she remained calm.
- The team managed to score amid the chaos on the field.