missing
4 ENTRIES FOUND:
Britannica Dictionary definition of MISSING
1
:
unable to be found
:
not in a usual or expected place
— often + from
— sometimes used in the phrase go missing
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My keys are missing. [=I can't find my keys]
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One of his front teeth is missing. [=he does not have one of his front teeth; he is missing one of his front teeth]
-
a missing tooth
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missing children
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A few books are missing from the shelf.
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She discovered that some important papers were missing from her desk.
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My keys have gone missing again. [=I cannot find my keys again; my keys are missing again]
◊ This phrase is more common in British English than in U.S. English.
2
:
needed or expected but not included
— often + from
-
The new director has provided the missing ingredient that was needed for the show's success.
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It's a good sauce, but there's something missing. [=it lacks something that would make it better]
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There was something missing from his life.
missing in action
— used to say that a soldier cannot be found after a battle and might have been killed, captured, or wounded
-
soldiers who are missing in action and presumed dead
