Disappearing
/ˌdɪsəˈpɪərɪŋ/
Definitions
In the process of ceasing to be visible or to exist.
/ˌdɪsəˈpɪərɪŋ/
Present participle of the verb 'disappear'
The sun is disappearing behind the clouds.
💡 Simply: Imagine you're playing hide-and-seek, and the person you're looking for is getting smaller and smaller until you can't see them anymore. That's disappearing! Like your cookies, when you leave them alone with a hungry kid.
👶 For kids: When something goes away and you can't see it anymore.
More Examples
The secrets of the missing girl were slowly disappearing.
The protesters were disappearing into the crowd to avoid authorities.
How It's Used
"The magician is making the rabbit disappearing."
"The endangered species are disappearing at an alarming rate."
From Old French *desparoir* (to despair, lose hope), ultimately from Latin *dis-* (apart, away) + *apparēre* (to appear).
Used consistently since the Middle Ages to describe the act of vanishing or ceasing to exist.
Memory tip
Think of the 'dis' prefix meaning 'away' or 'not,' and 'appearing' like showing up. So, it means to 'not show up,' or vanish.