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Amidst vs Upon - What's the difference?

amidst | upon |

As prepositions the difference between amidst and upon

is that amidst is in the midst or middle of; surrounded or encompassed by; among while upon is being above and in contact with another.

As an adverb upon is

being the target of an action.

amidst

English

Alternative forms

* amidest (obsolete) * amiddst (qualifier) * amiddest (obsolete) * amydst (obsolete) * amyddst (qualifier) * amyddest (qualifier)

Preposition

(English prepositions)
  • In the midst or middle of; surrounded or encompassed by; among.
  • * 1748 . David Hume. Enquiries Concerning the Human Understanding and Concerning the Principles of Morals. London: Oxford University Press, 1973. § 4.
    • Be a philosopher ; but amidst all your philosophy, be still a man.
  • * 1912 , (Edgar Rice Burroughs), (Tarzan of the Apes), Chapter 5
    • Not so, however, with Tarzan, the man-child. His life amidst the dangers of the jungle had taught him to meet emergencies with self-confidence, and his higher intelligence resulted in a quickness of mental action far beyond the powers of the apes.

    Synonyms

    * amid * among * amongst

    Usage notes

    As with other words with excrescent suffix , amidst is generally considered synonymous with simpler amid, and amid is preferred by style guides on both sides of the Atlantic. TimesOnline], [http://www.guardian.co.uk/styleguide/w The Guardian] and [http://www.hansard.ca/styleguide.pdf Hansard (Canadian parliament) Further, amidst /amid'' are similar in meaning to – but distinct from – ''amongst''/''among''. ''Amid]](st)'' denotes that something is "in the midst of", "surrounded by" other things, and is used when the idea of separate things is not prominent. ''[[among, Among(st)'' denotes that something is mingling with other separable things ("blessed art thou among women").

    References

    Anagrams

    *

    upon

    English

    Alternative forms

    * vpon (obsolete)

    Preposition

    (English prepositions)
  • Being above and in contact with another.
  • :
  • *{{quote-book, year=1899, author=(Hughes Mearns)
    • , title= , passage=Yesterday, upon the stair / I met a man who wasn’t there / He wasn’t there again today / I wish, I wish he’d go away …}}
  • Being directly supported by another.
  • :
  • :
  • Being followed by another so as to form a series.
  • :
  • At a prescribed point in time.
  • :
  • .
  • *
    • , title=(The Celebrity), chapter=5 , passage=Although the Celebrity was almost impervious to sarcasm, he was now beginning to exhibit visible signs of uneasiness, the consciousness dawning upon him that his eccentricity was not receiving the ovation it merited.}}
  • *
  • *:Little disappointed, then, she turned attention to "Chat of the Social World," gossip which exercised potent fascination upon the girl's intelligence.

    • Usage notes

    A somewhat elevated word; the simpler, more general term on is generally interchangeable, and more common in casual American speech. In poetic or legal contexts, upon is common.

    Synonyms

    * (all senses) on * (time) at

    Adverb

    (-)
  • Being the target of an action.
    • He was set upon by the agitated dogs
  • Incidental to a specified point in time or order of action; usually combined with here-, there- or where-.
    • The clock struck noon, whereupon the students proceeded to lunch.

    Derived terms

    * hereupon * thereupon * whereupon

    Statistics

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