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

The missing decade During the senior team’s missing decade, the youth teams flourished. —Harriet Marsden, TheWeek, 3 Mar. 2026

Milwaukee police are asking for help finding a critical missing 11-year-old boy. —Drake Bentley, jsonline.com, 3 Mar. 2026

When Kevin goes missing, the family members must confront their fragile bonds and the cultural expectations that have long tethered them. —Hamilton Cain, Time, 3 Mar. 2026

Ariadne has tangled with guls and lived to tell the tale, albeit aided by medical training and prostheses provided by her mentor Erik Yurkov—who has since gone missing. —Literary Hub, 2 Mar. 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