Word
disappear
Phoneticsdis·ap·pear, stress on the third syllable
US/ˌdɪsəˈpiɹ/
UK/dˌɪsɐpˈiə/
Definitions
01to vanish from sight
A2 · Elementary
v. to stop being visible; to go somewhere where you cannot be seen.
v. to pass out of sight; to cease to be visible.
日本語:消える※
“The sun disappeared behind the clouds and the temperature dropped quickly.”
“The magician made the rabbit disappear into thin air, leaving the audience wondering how the trick was performed.”
Usage
This verb is intransitive and does not take a direct object.
Pitfall
The sun was disappeared behind the clouds.
The sun disappeared behind the clouds.
Disappear is an intransitive verb and cannot be used in the passive voice.
02to go missing
B1 · Intermediate
v. to go away or become lost so that people do not know where you are.
v. to go missing or become lost, often implying a sudden or unexplained departure.
日本語:失踪する※
“My keys always seem to disappear just when I am ready to leave.”
“Several hikers have disappeared in these mountains over the last decade, prompting local authorities to issue stricter safety warnings.”
Synonyms
03to be abducted for politics
C1 · Advanced Law Formal
v. to be taken away by the government or police and never seen again.
v. to be abducted, imprisoned, or murdered for political reasons, often without public record.
“During the war, many people were disappeared by the secret police.”
“Human rights organisations continue to investigate the thousands of citizens who were disappeared during the military dictatorship.”
Usage
In this specific political sense, the verb is sometimes used transitively.
Teaching tip
This sense is often used in the context of human rights abuses and historical political regimes.
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “disappear” in context.
Etymology
From Middle English disapeeren, equivalent to dis- + appear. Displaced native Old English fordwīnan. Displaced native Old English cwincan, whose causative persists as quench (“put out (fire)”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A2 KeyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.3.0–4.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 2.0–2.524–43TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.225–549
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- A2 · ElementaryOxford
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/disappear
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0