mid
/mid/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Middle, central: "mid" is used to indicate the central part or point of something, often in terms of time, position, or sequence.
- Used in combination: It is most commonly used as a combining form, attached to other words to create compound adjectives specifying the middle of a period or thing.
Examples of Usage
- Adjective (Combining Form):
- We agreed to meet in mid-afternoon. (We agreed to meet in the middle part of the afternoon.)
- The flowers bloom in mid-spring. (The flowers bloom in the middle part of spring.)
- The project is scheduled for completion by mid-2025. (The project is scheduled for completion by the middle of the year 2025.)
Advanced Usage
"in mid-[noun]": This structure is used to specify being in the middle of an action, period, or process.
- The company was in mid-restructuring when the new CEO arrived. (The company was in the middle of restructuring when the new CEO arrived.)
- He paused in mid-sentence, unsure how to continue. (He paused in the middle of a sentence, unsure how to continue.)
"mid-" as a prefix in informal language: Sometimes used informally to mean "medium" or "average."
- I'd like a mid-sized coffee, please. (I'd like a medium-sized coffee, please.)
Variants and Related Words
Amid (preposition): In the middle of; surrounded by. (Note: This is a distinct word, not a variant of the adjective "mid," but it shares a related root meaning "middle.")
- The house stood amid the trees. (The house stood in the middle of the trees.)
Midway (adverb/noun): In or toward the middle; halfway.
- The town is located midway between the two cities. (The town is located halfway between the two cities.)
Synonyms
- Central: Located in the center.
- Middle: At an equal distance from the extremes; the central point.
- Median: Denoting or relating to a value or quantity lying at the midpoint of a frequency distribution.
Antonyms
- Initial: Existing or occurring at the beginning.
- Final: Coming at the end; last.
- Extreme: Reaching a high or the highest degree; very great.
Related Phrases
Mid-air: In the air; not touching the ground.
- The ball was caught mid-air. (The ball was caught while it was in the air.)
Mid-life: The central period of a person's life, typically between about 45 and 60 years old.
- He decided to change careers during his mid-life. (He decided to change careers during the middle period of his life.)
Notes on Usage
- "Mid" is almost always used as a combining form (e.g., midday, midnight, midweek) or in the prepositional phrase "in mid-[noun]." It is rarely used as a standalone adjective in modern English outside of poetic or archaic contexts.
- When used as a prefix, it is typically hyphenated (e.g., mid-July, mid-century).
Adjective
- used in combination to denote the middle
- midmorning
- midsummer
- in mid-1958
- a mid-June wedding