- present participle of miss.
missing
Americanadjective
-
absent, not found, or lost.
a missing person.
-
lacking.
Something is missing in this relationship.
idioms
adjective
-
not present; absent or lost
-
not able to be traced and not known to be dead
nine men were missing after the attack
-
to become lost or disappear
Etymology
Origin of missing
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.
The IOM said 821 people died or were reported missing in the first four months of the year, a 111-percent increase on the same period in 2025.
From Barron's ● Aug. 24, 2026
If the future of filmmaking really is in the hands of those who can best define this dreary period of life, “It Ends” meets that challenge with an optimistic, tenacious flair movies have been missing.
From Salon ● Aug. 24, 2026
Advanced computer algorithms were then used to reconstruct the missing half.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 24, 2026
He had lost 10% of his body weight and had several of his toes missing on a hind leg, which zoo officials said happened in the wild.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2026
“Her dog is missing, a black-and-white dog with a freckled muzzle.”
From "Nory Ryan’s Song" by Patricia Reilly Giff
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
