Middle — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective noun /ˈmi-dᵊl/ mid·dle

Meaning & Definition of Middle

Middle (adjective)

  1. equally distant from the extremes, medial, central
  2. being at neither extreme, intermediate
  3. constituting a division intermediate between those prior and later or upper and lower

Middle (noun)

  1. a middle part, point, or position
  2. the central portion of the human body, waist
  3. the position of being among or in the midst of something

Middle (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a middle point between extremes

    "his salary is exactly at the middle of the company's pay scale"

    similar: golden mean, mean, medium, middle ground, midpoint, middle of the road
    related: arithmetic mean, average, median, norm, par, standard
    near: maximum, utmost, minimum

  2. an area or point that is an equal distance from all points along an edge or outer surface

    "put the serving dish in the middle of the table"

    similar: center, core, midpoint, midst
    related: inside, interior
    opposite: perimeter, periphery

  3. the middle region of the human torso

    "clutched the football tightly against her middle"

    similar: midriff, midsection, waist, waistline
    related: trunk, abdomen, belly, gut, stomach

  4. the most intense or characteristic phase of something

    "I'm right in the middle of a tax audit, so can you come back later?"

    similar: deep, depth, height, midst, thick
    related: center, heart

Middle (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. occupying a position equally distant from the ends or extremes

    "you must mark the exact middle point of each of these lines in order to solve the problem"

    similar: central, halfway, intermediary, intermediate, medial, median, mediate, medium, mid, midmost
    related: equidistant, inmost, inner, innermost, nearest, betwixt and between, borderline, gray, in-between
    opposite: extreme, farthest, farthermost, furthermost, furthest, outermost, outmost, remotest, utmost
    near: outer, peripheral

  2. being about midway between extremes of amount or size

    "a house that is middle-sized for that neighborhood"

    "a man of middle height"

    similar: average, intermediate, mean, median, medium, middling, midsize, moderate, modest
    related: reasonable, common, commonplace, conventional, normal, popular, regular, routine, standard, typical, usual, adequate, passable, tolerable
    near: excessive, extreme, exceptional, rare, strange, uncommon, unusual, distinctive, idiosyncratic, special, unique, individual, peculiar, private

Related Entry: Middle ground (noun)

Middle ground is a different word from Middle. The synonyms below are for middle ground, not for middle.

  1. a middle point between extremes

    "both parties entered the negotiations hoping to find some middle ground"

    similar: golden mean, mean, medium, middle, midpoint, middle of the road
    related: arithmetic mean, average, median, norm, par, standard
    near: maximum, utmost, minimum

Related Entry: Middle-of-the-road (adjective)

Middle-of-the-road is a different word from Middle. The synonyms below are for middle-of-the-road, not for middle.

  1. avoiding major social change or extreme political ideas

    "a candidate with middle-of-the-road views on most hot-button issues"

    similar: central, centrist, moderate
    related: conventional, nonrevolutionary, orthodox, traditional, levelheaded, rational, reasonable, sensible, neutral
    opposite: extremist, radical, revolutionary, revolutionist, ultra
    near: excessive, conservative, reactionary, rightist, leftist, liberal, progressive, fanatic, rabid, subversive, violent, agitating, exciting, fomenting, incendiary, inciting, inflammatory, instigating, provocative, provoking, rabble-rousing, dissenting

Related Entry: Middle-of-the-roader (noun)

Middle-of-the-roader is a different word from Middle. The synonyms below are for middle-of-the-roader, not for middle.

  1. a person who holds moderate views

    "since the party's middle-of-the-roaders often lack verve, the activists inevitably nominate some extremist who can't win in the general election"

    similar: centrist, moderate
    related: progressive, reformer, accommodationist, compromiser
    opposite: extremist, radical, revolutionary, revolutionist, ultraist
    near: conservative, reactionary, rightist, right-winger, leftist, left-winger, liberal

Related Entry: Middle age (noun)

Middle age is a different word from Middle. The synonyms below are for middle age, not for middle.

  1. the period in a person's life from about age 40 to about age 60

    "as our generation approaches middle age"

    "When he reached middle age, he became suddenly obsessed with reliving his carefree college years."

    similar: adulthood, majority, maturity, middle, midlife, ripeness, afterlife, afternoon, autumn, evening, sunset, twilight, winter, anecdotage, dotage, senility, elderliness, golden years, oldness, seniority
    opposite: adolescence, youth, springtime

Related Entry: Middle-class (adjective)

Middle-class is a different word from Middle. The synonyms below are for middle-class, not for middle.

  1. belonging to the class of people of middle social or economic rank

    "She grew up in a middle-class neighborhood, as did most of her classmates."

    similar: bourgeois, plain, poor, simple, working-class, déclassé, down-market, downscale, baseborn, common, humble, ignoble, inferior, low, lowborn, lower-class, low-life, lowly, lumpen, mean, plebeian, prole, proletarian, unwashed, vulgar
    opposite: aristocratic, blue-blooded, genteel, gentle, grand, great, high, highborn, highbred, lofty, noble, patrician, upper-class, upper-crust, wellborn, eminent, illustrious, notable, prominent

Related Entry: Middle of nowhere (phrase)

Middle of nowhere is a different word from Middle. The synonyms below are for middle of nowhere, not for middle.

  1. the open rural area outside of big towns and cities

    "They realized they were lost in the middle of nowhere."

    similar: boondocks, boonies (slang), country, countryside, nowhere, sticks
    related: exurbia, backcountry, backwater, backwoods, bush, frontier, hinterland, outback, up-country, wild, wilderness
    near: conurbation, megalopolis, urban sprawl

Related Entry: Middle of the road (phrase)

Middle of the road is a different word from Middle. The synonyms below are for middle of the road, not for middle.

  1. a middle point between extremes

    "I'm in the middle of the road on that issue."

    similar: golden mean, mean, medium, middle, middle ground, midpoint
    related: arithmetic mean, average, median, norm, par, standard
    near: maximum, utmost, minimum

Related Entry: Middle class (noun)

Middle class is a different word from Middle. The synonyms below are for middle class, not for middle.

  1. as in working class, bourgeoisie

    similar: bourgeoisie, working class, proletariat, rabble, rabblement, ragtag and bobtail, riffraff, rout, scum, tag, rag, and bobtail, trash, unwashed, commoners, commons, herd, hoi polloi, masses, millions, mob, multitude, people, plebeians, populace, public, rank and file
    opposite: A-list, aristocracy, elite, gentry, quality, society, upper class, upper crust, elect, establishment, gentlefolk, nobility, peerage

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Middle

The most common words with a similar meaning to Middle:

golden mean, mean, medium, middle ground, midpoint, center, core, midst, midriff, midsection, waist, waistline, deep, depth, height, thick, middle of the road, central, halfway, intermediary, intermediate, medial, median, mediate, mid, midmost, average, middling, midsize, moderate, modest

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Middle

Words with the opposite meaning of Middle:

perimeter, periphery, extreme, farthest, farthermost, furthermost, furthest, outermost, outmost, remotest, utmost

Related Words for Middle

arithmetic mean, norm, par, standard, inside, interior, trunk, abdomen, belly, gut, stomach, heart, equidistant, inmost, inner, innermost, nearest, betwixt and between, borderline, gray, in-between, reasonable, common, commonplace, conventional, normal, popular, regular, routine, typical

Near Antonyms of Middle

maximum, minimum, outer, peripheral, excessive, exceptional, rare, strange, uncommon, unusual, distinctive, idiosyncratic, special, unique, individual, peculiar, private

Origin & Etymology of Middle

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

First known use: before 12th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Middle

Words & Phrases Containing Middle

middle age, Middle Ages, Middle America, middle C, middle-class, middle class, middle distance, Middle Dutch

Frequently Asked Questions about Middle

What does "Middle" mean?

"Middle" means equally distant from the extremes, medial, central. As an an adjective and a noun, it is defined as: equally distant from the extremes, medial, central. It has 6 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Middle"?

Other words for "Middle" include golden mean, mean, medium, middle ground, midpoint, center, core and midst. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Middle" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Middle"?

There are 65 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Middle". Common alternatives include golden mean, mean, medium, middle ground, midpoint, center, core, midst, midriff and midsection.

What is the opposite of "Middle"?

Antonyms of "Middle" include perimeter, periphery, extreme, farthest, farthermost, furthermost, furthest and outermost. Near antonyms include maximum, minimum, outer and peripheral.

How do you use "Middle" in a sentence?

Examples of "Middle" in a sentence: "his salary is exactly at the middle of the company's pay scale"; "put the serving dish in the middle of the table"; "clutched the football tightly against her middle".

Is "Middle" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Middle" can be used as an adjective and a noun, depending on the context.

Is "Middle" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A2-level word, "Middle" is typical of Cambridge A2 Key (KET), PTE Academic 30–42, TOEIC Listening & Reading 225+.

How do you pronounce "Middle"?

"Middle" is pronounced /ˈmi-dᵊl/ and divided into syllables as mid·dle.