noun
middle; midst; in the middle of
Used in the pattern 〜の只中 to mean 'in the very middle of' a place, time, or situation. Often emphasizes being right in the center or thick of something.
彼は群衆の只中に立っていた。
He stood in the middle of the crowd.
戦争の只中で、人々
In the midst of war, people were desperately trying to survive.
Rarely used kanji form; 只中 is preferred.
真ん中 is a more common and casual word for 'center' or 'middle', while 只中 is more literary and emphasizes being deeply inside a situation or location.
最中 means 'in the middle of (an activity)' and is used with verbs or nouns denoting actions, e.g., 食事の最中. 只中 is used with nouns for places, times, or abstract situations.
Compound of 只 (tada, 'just, only') and 中 (naka, 'inside, middle'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the combination conveys the idea of being right in the center.