missing

1 of 2

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.
see also:
go missing

missing

2 of 2

present participle of miss entry 1

Synonyms of missing

Relevance

Adjective

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of missing in a Sentence

Adjective 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.
Adjective
Families covered hospital walls with posters showing missing relatives, photographs and contact numbers in a desperate appeal for any clue that could bring them home. — Arkansas Online, 30 Aug. 2026 Nepal's disaster authority said 781 people had died, with 2,502 missing and Chinese officials added that 16 people had died with 546 missing. — James Powel, USA Today, 30 Aug. 2026 Pabst also originally posted that a truck was stolen, though company officials later clarified no vehicle went missing. — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026 Ruby Chaudhary, who has two missing relatives, said the burials should not proceed without families’ consent. — ABC News, 30 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for missing

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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

Phrases Containing missing

Rhymes for missing

See All Rhymes for missing

Browse Nearby Words

missilery
missing
missing in action
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Missing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/missing. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

missing

adjective
miss·​ing ˈmis-iŋ How to pronounce missing (audio)
: absent entry 1 sense 1, lost
missing persons
missing in action
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All