missing

American  

[mis-ing] / ˈmɪs ɪŋ /

adjective

1. absent, not found, or lost.

   a missing person.

2. lacking.

   Something is missing in this relationship.

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idioms

1. go missing, to disappear; become lost.

   My keys have gone missing again.

missing British  

/ ˈmɪsɪŋ /

adjective

1. not present; absent or lost

2. not able to be traced and not known to be dead

   nine men were missing after the attack

3. to become lost or disappear

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Etymology

Origin of missing

First recorded in 1520–30; miss ¹ + -ing ²

Example Sentences

"Within the symbiosis project, we've been steadily sequencing genomes for several years, but several key gaps remained. In this study, we were able to fill these missing puzzle pieces," confirms Sanchez.

From Science Daily • Apr. 1, 2026

It’s been only a couple of months since the death of Catherine O’Hara, your “Schitt’s Creek” co-star, and audiences are still missing her tremendously.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

Airo Group reported fourth-quarter operating profit of $6 million on $48.3 million in sales, missing Wall Street expectations.

From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026

Both the chocolate bars and the truck carrying them remain missing, though no one was hurt in the theft, it said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

Hibernation would mean missing out on winter altogether and not having the opportunity to partake of all the things he loved about it.

From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el

Related Words

• away
• lost
• removed