missing

adjective

miss·​ing ˈmi-siŋ How to pronounce missing (audio)
Synonyms of missingnext
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.

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Melodee was reported missing days later on October 14 – not by a family member, but by a school administrator concerned about her long absence. Josh Campbell, CNN Money, 23 Dec. 2025 Mother of God follows its protagonist, Marlene, on a journey home to small-town Nova Scotia, only to find her mother, Darlene, is missing. Hazlitt, 23 Dec. 2025 In 2023, on the fiftieth anniversary of Pinochet’s coup, Boric reminded Chileans of the terrible price their country had paid, and announced a national search plan to ascertain the destinies of as many as three thousand citizens who remain missing. Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2025 All but one video camera in Epstein’s unit was recording at the time of his death — and portions of that recording went missing. Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 23 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for missing

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of missing was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Missing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/missing. Accessed 27 Dec. 2025.

Kids Definition

missing

adjective
miss·​ing ˈmis-iŋ How to pronounce missing (audio)
: absent entry 1 sense 1, lost
missing persons
missing in action

More from Merriam-Webster on missing

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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