missing

adjective

miss·​ing ˈmi-siŋ 

: absent

also : lost

missing in action

Synonyms

• lost
• gone
• misplaced

Examples of missing in a Sentence

The new director has provided the missing ingredient that was needed for the show's success.

the missing socks turned up in the dog's special hiding place

Recent Examples on the Web

Some of the dead and missing include campers of Camp Mystic — an all-girls, Christian summer camp — grandparents and a family of four. —Nicholas Rice, People.com, 6 July 2025

Police in the Turks and Caicos Islands have discovered the body of a man while searching for a New York man who went missing while vacationing in the Caribbean late last month. —Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 6 July 2025

To better understand the missing middle, Paulsen was part of a research team that examined rock samples from the Polar Rock Depository at The Ohio State University’s Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center. —Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 5 July 2025

The body of a missing Kentucky woman and University of Kentucky Healthcare doctor was found July 3 in Alaska. —Olivia Evans, The Courier-Journal, 4 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing missing

• go missing
• missing in action
• missing link
• missing person report
• someone doesn't know what he/she is missing

Rhymes for missing

• hissing
• kissing
• characterising
• dismissing
• nipissing
• reminiscing

Kids Definition

missing

adjective

miss·​ing ˈmis-iŋ 

: absent entry 1 sense 1, lost

missing persons

missing in action