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

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

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