definitions

vanish

[ van-ish ]
/ ˈvæn ɪʃ /
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR vanish ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used without object)

to disappear from sight, especially quickly; become invisible: The frost vanished when the sun came out.
to go away, especially furtively or mysteriously; disappear by quick departure: The thief vanished in the night.
to disappear by ceasing to exist; come to an end: The pain vanished after he took an aspirin.
Mathematics. (of a number, quantity, or function) to become zero.

verb (used with object)

to cause to disappear.

noun

Phonetics. the last part of a vowel sound when it differs noticeably in quality from the main sound, as the faint (ē) at the end of the (ā) in the pronunciation of pain.

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RELATED WORDS

die, melt, evaporate, fade, dissolve, evanesce, clear, exit, dematerialize

Nearby words

vanillin, vanillism, vanillylmandelic acid, vanillylmandelic acid test, vanir, vanish, vanishing cream, vanishing lung syndrome, vanishing point, vanitas, vanitory

Origin of vanish

1275–1325; Middle English vanisshen, vanissen < Middle French evaniss-, long stem of e(s)vanir ≪ Latin ex- ex-1 + vānēscere to pass away, equivalent to vān(us) vain + -ēscere inchoative suffix

Related forms

Synonym study

1. See disappear.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for vanish

British Dictionary definitions for vanish

vanish

/ (ˈvænɪʃ) /

verb (intr)

to disappear, esp suddenly or mysteriously
to cease to exist; fade away
maths to become zero

noun

phonetics rare the second and weaker of the two vowels in a falling diphthong

Derived Forms

vanisher, nounvanishingly, adverb

Word Origin for vanish

C14: vanissen, from Old French esvanir, from Latin ēvānēscere to evaporate, from ē- ex- 1 + vānēscere to pass away, from vānus empty
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

Idioms and Phrases with vanish

vanish

see under into thin air.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.