go missing

1 of 3

phrase

chiefly British : to become lost : disappear

missing

2 of 3

adjective

miss·​ing ˈmi-siŋ 

1

: absent

a missing tooth

also : lost

my keys are missing

—sometimes used in the phrase go missing

My keys have gone missing.

2

: needed or expected but not included

It's a good sauce, but something is missing.

see also:

go missing

missing

3 of 3

present participle of miss entry 1

Synonyms of go missing

Adjective

• lost
• gone
• misplaced

Examples of go missing in a Sentence

Adjective

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

Phrase

He is recognized as the teen prodigy who went missing a decade prior, and his return as an up-and-coming conductor is heralded. — Kayti Burt, Time, 6 Oct. 2026

Three friends of Nolan Wells, a Black college student who went missing from a Mississippi island during a Fourth of July celebration and was later found dead, are suing NFL Hall of Famer Terrell Owens for defamation. — ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026

Adjective

Rescuers have so far recovered the bodies of at least 1,455 people, but 5,285 others remain missing, including hundreds of foreign nationals. — ABC News, 7 Oct. 2026

This is not to include the scores of journalists that remain missing. — Daniel Peña, Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Phrase

1845, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing go missing

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

Rhymes for go missing

• dismissing
• nipissing
• characterising
• hissing
• kissing
• reminiscing