Meanings
plural midafternoons · alternative mid-afternoon
- countableuncountableThe middle of the afternoon, normally between 2 and 4 pm.
I'll be busy until midafternoon, but you can try my office around 3.
1 more example
THE human body was meant to have a midafternoon nap, according to a new consensus among sleep researchers who are studying the biological rhythms of sleep and alertness.
1989 September 12, Daniel Goleman, “Feeling Sleepy? An Urge to Nap Is Built In”, in The New York TimesSynonyms: none
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe middle of the afternoon, normally between 2 and 4 pm.
Origin
- Middle Englishmid-afternon
- Englishmidafternoon
From Middle English mid-afternon, myd-afternon, equivalent to mid- + afternoon.
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Catalan mitja tarda
- mitja tardamiddle of the afternoon
Finnish iltapäivän puoliväli
- iltapäivän puolivälimiddle of the afternoon
German Nachmittagsmitte, Mitte des Nachmittags
- Nachmittagsmittemiddle of the afternoon
- Mitte des Nachmittagsmiddle of the afternoon
Hungarian középdélután
- középdélutánmiddle of the afternoon
Irish ardtráthnóna
- ardtráthnónamiddle of the afternoon
Romanian mijlocul după-amiezii
- mijlocul după-amieziimiddle of the afternoon
Spanish media tarde
- media tardemiddle of the afternoon
Turkish ikindi
- ikindimiddle of the afternoon
Welsh canol prynhawn
- canol prynhawnmiddle of the afternoon
Cite this entry
midafternoon. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/midafternoon
“midafternoon.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/midafternoon. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “midafternoon,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/midafternoon.
Source: midafternoon on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.