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Synonyms

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.


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)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

As public clinics disappear, a joint project of City of Hope, UCLA’s Homeless Healthcare Collaborative and Union Rescue Mission is stepping in to fill the gaps.

From Los Angeles Times

In other words, California is trying to transition away from oil-based fuels, but the gasoline can’t disappear faster than people are giving it up.

From Los Angeles Times

Survey director Joanne Hsu said interviews conducted before the conflict began showed an improvement in sentiment from February, but that improvement disappeared in interviews in the nine days after.

From The Wall Street Journal

Rebecca Harvey's two spaniels, Clover and Flora, disappeared from their kennels in her family's garden in Little Maplestead in Essex on 30 October 2017.

From BBC

Professor Rod Fensham, a botanist at the University of Queensland, said urgent action is needed to prevent the species Rhodamnia zombi from disappearing due to the fungal disease known as myrtle rust.

From Science Daily