missing

adjective

miss·​ing ˈmi-siŋ 

1

: absent

a missing tooth

also : lost

my keys are missing

—sometimes used in the phrase go missing

My keys have gone missing.

2

: needed or expected but not included

It's a good sauce, but something is missing.

Synonyms of missing

• 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

Idealistic bunny police officer Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) is eager to prove herself in the big city, teaming up with slick fox named Nick (Jason Bateman) to uncover the conspiracy behind a string of animals gone missing. —James Mercadante, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Jan. 2026

The car of a missing 17-year-old was spotted in San Francisco, but the girl still hasn’t been found after almost three weeks. —Bay City News, Mercury News, 20 Jan. 2026

Vargas, however, remained missing. —David Chiu, PEOPLE, 20 Jan. 2026

The 16-year-old girl returned home on her own and is no longer considered missing, Pewaukee Police Chief Timothy Heier said. —Kelly Meyerhofer, jsonline.com, 18 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing 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