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Meaning & use

midway

adverb, adjective, noun·Everyday

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UK/ˌmɪdˈweɪ/
US/ˌmɪdˈweɪ/

Meanings

  1. adverbnot comparable

    At a point about the same distance from two places, or about halfway through a period or activity.

    Grammar: Often followed by between or through: midway between the two towns.

    Patterns

    • midway between A and B
    • midway through something

    The cafe sits midway between the station and the beach.

    The power went out midway through the film.

    We stopped midway up the hill to rest.

  2. adjectivebefore a noun

    Located halfway between two points, or reached at the middle of a process.

    Grammar: Comes before a noun: the midway point.

    Patterns

    • the midway point
    • a midway stop

    The midway point of the hike has a bench.

    We made a midway stop for lunch.

    Prices are at a midway level between cheap and luxury.

  3. nouncountableAmerican

    The area at a fair or carnival where games, rides and food stalls are set up.

    Grammar: A countable noun, mainly American: walk down the midway.

    Patterns

    • walk along the midway

    Children ran down the midway looking for prizes.

    The state fair midway glowed with lights at night.

    He won a stuffed bear at a game on the midway.

Word forms

pluralmidways

Common combinations

midway between
The hotel is midway between the airport and the city.
midway through
Midway through the speech, he lost his place.
midway point
Runners reached the midway point in an hour.
stop midway
The bus stopped midway along the route.

Synonyms and how they differ

halfway
Halfway is more common in everyday speech and also works in phrases like halfway home, while midway sounds slightly more formal.
in the middle
This is looser and does not suggest an exact halfway point.
equidistant
This is a formal word that stresses equal distance from two points, not progress through time.

Word family

mid adjective
in the middle of something
way noun
a route or path
halfway adverb
at the middle point

Commonly confused: midway or medway?

midway vs medway

Medway is only a proper name, such as the river and towns in England, and is not used as a general word for halfway.

Practice

Choose the best word: The picnic spot is ___ between the two villages.

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