missing

adjective

miss·​ing ˈmi-siŋ 

: absent

also : lost

missing in action

Synonyms

• gone
• lost
• mislaid
• misplaced

Examples of missing in a Sentence

The new director has provided the missing ingredient that was needed for the show's success.

the missing socks turned up in the dog's special hiding place

Recent Examples on the Web

After incorporating missing campaign data, our demand prediction accuracy improved by 4.2%, and elasticity estimates shifted by 71.2%, reclassifying many products from inelastic to low or medium elasticity categories. —Aleksandr Galkin, Forbes, 12 Sep. 2024

Grand Canyon National Park, Ariz. — The body of a missing boater was recovered Tuesday from Grand Canyon National Park, marking the 16th fatality at the popular tourist destination so far this year. —CBS News, 11 Sep. 2024

Some hikers who have gone missing in the forest were later found dead by search teams in recent years. —Connor Giffin, The Courier-Journal, 10 Sep. 2024

Though the movie features some familiar faces like Ryder and O'Hara, others are noticeably missing, including Davis, Baldwin and Jeffrey Jones, who played Charles. —Rebecca Aizin, Peoplemag, 9 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing missing

• go missing
• missing in action
• missing link
• missing person report
• someone doesn't know what he/she is missing

Kids Definition

missing

adjective

miss·​ing ˈmis-iŋ 

: absent entry 1 sense 1, lost

missing persons

missing in action