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

Texas authorities confirmed on Thursday a missing San Antonio teen who vanished on Christmas Eve took her own life. —Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 31 Dec. 2025

If the missing words were a mystery, the word for what happened to them was not. —Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 31 Dec. 2025

As when just standing in the Mingus Quick Stop parking lot and squinting down the street at lifting dust while overhearing from within the most mysterious conversation about missing Little Debbie Honey Buns—not stolen, gradually pilfered, but just missing. —David Searcy, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025

That same month, a 75-year-old man went missing and was later rescued after two days in harsh conditions. —James Ward, USA Today, 30 Dec. 2025

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