Amid means in the middle of or surrounded by something. When a lost hiker finds their way amid thick fog, they're making progress even though fog surrounds them on all sides. When a teacher stays calm amid the chaos of a classroom where everyone's talking at once, she's keeping her composure while noise and activity swirl around her.

The word often appears when something noteworthy happens while other things are going on around it. A flower growing amid the rubble of a demolished building catches your attention because of the contrast. A student who concentrates amid distractions shows real focus.

Amid suggests being in the thick of things, right in the situation as it unfolds. When someone achieves something amid difficulties, they succeeded even though challenges surrounded them. When a politician resigns amid controversy, the resignation happens while controversy swirls around them.

The word amidst means exactly the same thing, and you can use them interchangeably, though amid is more common in modern writing. Both words give your writing a slightly formal tone, so you might say “surrounded by” in casual conversation but write amid in an essay or story.