disappear

American  

[dis-uh-peer] / ˌdɪs əˈpɪər /

verb (used without object)

1. to cease to be seen; vanish from sight.

2. to cease to exist or be known; pass away; end gradually.

   One by one the symptoms disappeared.

3. (of a person) to vanish under suspicious circumstances.

   The dictator's outspoken opponent disappeared that evening, shortly after midnight.

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verb (used with object)

1. to cause to disappear.

   The magician then disappeared the card.

2. to kidnap or arrest and then imprison or kill (a political opponent) without due process of law.

disappear British  

/ ˌdɪsəˈpɪə /

verb

1. (intr) to cease to be visible; vanish

2. (intr) to go away or become lost, esp secretly or without explanation

3. (intr) to cease to exist, have effect, or be known; become extinct or lost

   the pain has disappeared

4. (tr) (esp in South and Central America) to arrest secretly and presumably imprison or kill (a member of an opposing political group)

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Related Words

Disappear, fade, vanish suggest that something passes from sight. Disappear is used of whatever suddenly or gradually goes out of sight: We watched him turn down a side street and then disappear. Fade suggests a (complete or partial) disappearance that proceeds gradually and often by means of a blending into something else: Colors in the sky at sunrise quickly fade. Vanish suggests complete, generally rapid, and often mysterious disappearance: A mirage can vanish as suddenly as it appears.

Other Word Forms

• disappearance noun
• nondisappearing adjective
• undisappearing adjective

Etymology

Origin of disappear

First recorded in 1520–30; dis- ¹ + appear

Explanation

When something disappears, it's gone. To disappear is to vanish, evaporate, or just fade away. The word disappear is made up of dis, meaning "do the opposite of" and appear. So to disappear is to do the opposite of appear. Magicians are experts at making things disappear: one minute the rabbit is here, and the next, it's gone! When you lose something, like one of a pair of socks, you could say it disappeared. Snow disappears as it melts; boiling water disappears as it evaporates. Anything that goes away without leaving a trace has disappeared.

Example Sentences

Kerstin Rudd said he had no reason to disappear and "he was enjoying it in the Army".

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

If the gnomes do actually disappear, though, Jack might check in on the market again.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

Can a series disappear for four years and reclaim its choke hold on the culture?

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

"In the widely used superconducting qubits, the time it takes for information to disappear is, on average, reasonable. But it seems to vary randomly over time," explained Danon.

From Science Daily • Apr. 8, 2026

Titus stares at his desk as if he wants to disappear into it.

From "Clairboyance" by Kristiana Kahakauwila

Related Words

• abandon
• depart
• die
• die out
• dissipate
• dissolve
• escape
• evaporate
• expire
• fade
• flee
• fly
• go
• leave
• melt
• perish
• recede
• retire
• retreat
• sink