middle

1 of 2

adjective

mid·​dle ˈmi-dᵊl 

1

: equally distant from the extremes : medial, central

the middle house in the row

2

: being at neither extreme : intermediate

of middle size

3

Middle

a

: constituting a division intermediate between those prior and later or upper and lower

Middle Paleozoic

b

: constituting a period of a language or literature intermediate between one called Old and one called New or Modern

Middle Dutch

4

of a verb form or voice : typically asserting that a person or thing both performs and is affected by the action represented

middle

2 of 2

noun

1

: a middle part, point, or position

the middle of the street

parts his hair in the middle

2

: the central portion of the human body : waist

3

: the position of being among or in the midst of something

in the middle of the crowd

4

: something intermediate between extremes : mean

5

: the center of an offensive or defensive formation

especially : the area between the second baseman and the shortstop

see also:

in the middle in the middle of middle of nowhere

Synonyms of middle

Adjective

• halfway
• mid

Noun

• mean
• midpoint
• middle ground
• norm
• medium
• middle of the road

Examples of middle in a Sentence

Adjective

during the century's middle decades

High temperatures today should be in the middle 80s.

Franklin D. Roosevelt's middle initial stood for “Delano.”

Noun

A good essay will have a clear beginning, middle, and end.

He stood exactly in the middle of the room.

She opened the book to the middle and began to read.

The car stopped in the middle of the road.

The house should be finished by the middle of next summer.

The beginning and ending of the movie were good, but the middle was pretty boring.

She put her arms around his middle.

He tied the sash around his middle.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

To make matters worse, a $400 million renovation this year is moving the middle jewel to Laurel Park, slashing attendance (capped at about 4,800) and the infield festivities (a Preakness staple). —Sam Cohn, Baltimore Sun, 11 May 2026

Miami’s middle infield duo of shortstop Otto Lopez and second baseman Xavier Edwards have been standouts at the plate, too. —Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 11 May 2026

Noun

Gauthier moved to the middle for one shift as top-line winger Troy Terry filled his spot on right wing. —Eric Stephens, New York Times, 13 May 2026

By the time officers arrived, the situation had escalated into what officials described as an active shooter incident, with the suspect walking down the middle of Memorial Drive and firing in an erratic manner as traffic came to a halt. —Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 12 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English middel, from Old English; akin to Old English midde

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing middle

• caught in the middle
• down the middle
• in the middle
• in the middle of
• in the middle of nowhere
• middle age
• middle C
• middle class
• middle distance
• middle ear
• middle finger
• middle game
• middle ground
• middle lamella
• middle management
• middle name
• middle of nowhere
• middle of the road
• middle school
• middle-sized
• middle temporal artery
• middle term
• piggy in the middle
• pig in the middle
• play both ends against the middle
• the middle-aged
• thick around the middle

Rhymes for middle

• diddle
• fiddle
• griddle
• riddle

Kids Definition

middle

1 of 2 adjective

mid·​dle ˈmid-ᵊl 

1

: equally distant from the ends or sides

2

: being at neither extreme : intermediate

of middle size

3

capitalized : constituting an intermediate division or period

Middle Paleozoic

middle

2 of 2 noun

1

: a middle part, point, or position : center

2

: waist sense 1a

3

: the position of being among or in the midst of something

in the middle of the crowd