Missing
/ˈmɪsɪŋ/
Definitions
2 meaningsNot found, lost, or absent.
/ˈmɪsɪŋ/
Absent or lost
The missing cat returned home after two weeks.
💡 Simply: Imagine you're looking for your favorite toy, and it's nowhere to be found. It's 'missing'! Maybe it's hiding under the bed or maybe it's gone, like the last slice of pizza when you get to the kitchen.
👶 For kids: Not there. You can't find it!
More Examples
Several pieces are missing from the jigsaw puzzle.
A vital document was missing from the file.
How It's Used
"The police are searching for a missing child."
"I can't find my missing keys."
Feeling the loss or absence of something or someone.
/ˈmɪsɪŋ/
Present participle of 'miss' (to feel the absence of)
We are missing the sun after weeks of rain.
💡 Simply: When you miss something, it means you're feeling sad that it's not around. Like when your best friend moves away, you're missing them because you enjoy spending time with them.
👶 For kids: Feeling sad because something you like is not there.
More Examples
I was missing my friends after not seeing them for so long.
She is missing the freedom of her college days.
How It's Used
"I'm missing my family while I'm away on vacation."
"She's missing the excitement of her old job."
Synonyms & Antonyms
Idioms & expressions
a missing link
Something important that is absent or not yet discovered that is needed to understand something else.
"Scientists are still searching for the missing link in human evolution."
From Middle English *missinge*, present participle of *missen* (“to miss”).
The word 'missing' has been used in English since the 14th century, initially as the present participle of the verb 'miss'.
Memory tip
Think of a puzzle with a missing piece - something is incomplete.
Word Origin
"to fail to hit, to fail to find, to feel the loss or absence of"