- 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.
"We did have one or two tip-offs... we tried to find her, but we kept missing her," Hannah said.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
More than 100 people remain missing, but rescue operations have been called off in many buildings.
From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026
Yet Israel appears to be missing a strategic window.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
“Instead of mom or dad missing work twice,” Cassidy said, parents could have to “miss work or take vacation or personal leave six times.”
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
Dad is even louder now, ranting about his missing watch case.
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
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.
