disappearance
gb/dˌɪsəpˈɪɹəns/ us/dˌɪsəpˈɪɹəns/
B2
English
~ 7400
eltűnés, erőszakos eltüntetés
NOUN
B2
1
eltűnés
B1
Usage pattern:
the disappearance of [someone/something]
Police are investigating the sudden disappearance of the six-year-old boy from the playground.
A rendőrség a hatéves fiú játszótérről való hirtelen eltűnését vizsgálja.
Her keys' disappearance from the kitchen table delayed everyone for twenty minutes.
A kulcsainak eltűnése a konyhaasztalról húsz percig feltartott mindenkit.
The magician's most impressive trick was the complete disappearance of the car.
Neighbors grew worried after his unexplained disappearance last weekend.
The security camera footage may help to solve her mysterious disappearance.
Learner examples
We were very scared after the sudden disappearance of our child in the store.
Nagyon megijedtünk, amikor a gyerekünk hirtelen eltűnt a boltban.
The disappearance of my wallet made me late for work.
A pénztárcám eltűnése miatt elkéstem a munkahelyemről.
Everyone in the village talked about the strange disappearance of the dog.
The police asked us when we first noticed her disappearance.
His disappearance was on the front page of the newspaper.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "disappearance" with "appearance" because they look similar. "Disappearance" means something is no longer seen or found; "appearance" means something becomes visible or arrives. Learners may also forget to use "of" and say *"the disappearance my phone"* instead of "the disappearance of my phone".
Meaning
the act of no longer being seen or found
Collocations
the disappearance of [someone/something]
|sudden disappearance
|mysterious disappearance
|report [someone]'s disappearance
|investigate the disappearance
|explain the disappearance
Synonyms
vanishing (Emphasizes the act of becoming impossible to see, sometimes with a magical or dramatic tone.)
|
loss (Broader and more emotional; can refer to death or not having something anymore, not only to not seeing or finding it.)
Antonyms
appearance (Refers to someone or something becoming visible or present, the opposite of becoming unseen or absent.)
|
reappearance (Focuses on something that was gone becoming visible or present again.)
Themes
daily_life
|crime
|mystery
|core_vocabulary
Definition
When a person or thing was there before, but now cannot be seen or found.
The event or process in which a person or thing that was present can no longer be seen or found, often suddenly or unexpectedly.
NOUN
C1
2
eltűnés
B1
Usage pattern:
the gradual disappearance of [something]
Many historians worry about the disappearance of local languages in the region.
Sok történész aggódik a térség helyi nyelveinek eltűnése miatt.
The report highlights the rapid disappearance of insects from farmland across Europe.
A jelentés kiemeli a rovarok gyors eltűnését a mezőgazdasági területekről Európa-szerte.
Online shopping has contributed to the disappearance of small family-owned shops from city centers.
Researchers have documented the near disappearance of this bird from its former habitat.
The disappearance of traditional crafts is changing the character of the village.
Learner examples
People are concerned about the disappearance of many animal species.
Az emberek aggódnak sok állatfaj eltűnése miatt.
The internet has led to the disappearance of some old jobs.
Az internet néhány régi foglalkozás eltűnéséhez vezetett.
We can see the slow disappearance of traditional clothes in big cities.
Teachers talk about the disappearance of reading for fun among teenagers.
The disappearance of forests is a serious problem for the world.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "disappearance" here when "reduction" or "decline" would be more accurate if the thing still exists. Use "disappearance" when something has almost or completely gone, not just become smaller in amount.
Meaning
gradual end or fading of something
Collocations
gradual disappearance
|near disappearance
|virtual disappearance
|disappearance from [the market/the streets]
|disappearance of traditional [jobs/skills]
|disappearance of many species
Synonyms
decline (Suggests a slow reduction in amount or importance, not always complete loss.)
|
extinction (Used especially for species; stronger, implies a complete and permanent end.)
Antonyms
emergence (Focuses on something new starting to appear or become important in society.)
|
revival (Means something that was disappearing or gone becomes popular or common again.)
Themes
society
|environment
|history
|core_vocabulary
|nature
Definition
When something slowly goes away and is no longer part of life, used, or seen.
The process by which something such as a custom, species, product, or way of life gradually stops existing, being used, or being seen.
NOUN
C1
TECHNICAL
3
Usage pattern:
an enforced/forced disappearance
Human rights groups documented hundreds of enforced disappearances during the civil war.
Emberi jogi szervezetek több száz erőszakos eltüntetést dokumentáltak a polgárháború idején.
Her brother's disappearance in 1984 has never been properly investigated.
A bátyja 1984-es erőszakos eltüntetését soha nem vizsgálták ki megfelelően.
The UN committee demanded information about all cases of political disappearance in the region.
Families of the victims of forced disappearances marched through the capital demanding justice.
The report concludes that disappearance was used as a tool of state terror.
Learner examples
Many families still have no answers about the disappearance of their loved ones.
Sok család még mindig nem kapott választ szeretteik erőszakos eltüntetésével kapcsolatban.
The group works to stop enforced disappearance in the country.
A csoport azon dolgozik, hogy véget vessen az erőszakos eltüntetéseknek az országban.
Her father's disappearance happened after he spoke against the government.
The newspaper wrote about cases of disappearance during the war.
They want the truth about every disappearance to be known.
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize that in political and human-rights contexts, "disappearance" often implies government or armed-group involvement, not just that someone is missing. In these contexts, it is usually used with adjectives like "enforced" or "forced".
Meaning
secret abduction, often political
Collocations
enforced disappearance
|forced disappearance
|victim of disappearance
|cases of political disappearance
|campaign against disappearances
|report on disappearances
Synonyms
abduction (More general; does not always include the political or secretive element common in "disappearance" in human-rights language.)
|
extraordinary rendition (A specific legal-political term used mainly for cross-border transfers by states, narrower and more technical.)
Antonyms
release (Describes making a detained or abducted person free again, the opposite of secretly taking and holding them.)
|
accountability (Refers to admitting actions and providing information, contrasting with secrecy and denial around disappearances.)
Themes
politics
|crime
|human_rights
|law
Definition
When someone is secretly taken and kept or killed, often by the government or soldiers, and no one is told where they are or what happened.
The abduction and secret detention or killing of a person, typically by a state or armed group, while refusing to admit the person’s fate or location.
Grammar
Dictionary form
disappearance
IPA
GB/dˌɪsəpˈɪɹəns/
US/dˌɪsəpˈɪɹəns/
Syllables & stress
dis - ap - pear - ance (4 syllables)
Stress on 3rd syllable (pear)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: disappearance
- Plural: disappearance, disappearances
Word family
Forms
disappearances
noun
Core family
Related words
Expressions
do a disappearing act
1/dˈu ə dˌɪsəpˈɪɹɪŋ ˈækt/
idiom
informal
suddenly go away to avoid something
To suddenly go away or hide so that other people cannot find you, often to avoid work, responsibility, or an awkward situation.
Examples
- He always does a disappearing act when it's time to clean up after the party.
- My phone company did a disappearing act when I tried to complain about the bill.
- As soon as the police arrived, the thieves did a disappearing act.
enforced disappearance
1/ɪnfˈɔɹst dˌɪsəpˈɪɹəns/
fixed phrase
technical
state-organized secret abduction
A human-rights term for when the state or people working for it secretly take someone away and do not say where they are or what happened to them.
Examples
- The UN convention on enforced disappearance entered into force in 2010.
- Families of victims of enforced disappearance are still waiting for justice.
- The report accuses the security forces of using enforced disappearance as a tool of repression.
mysterious disappearance
1/mɪstˈɪɹiəs dˌɪsəpˈɪɹəns/
fixed phrase
a disappearance with unknown cause
Used when someone or something cannot be found and nobody knows clearly what happened.
Examples
- The documentary looks at the mysterious disappearance of the airplane.
- News of his mysterious disappearance quickly spread through the city.
- Her mysterious disappearance became the subject of many online theories.
the disappearance of [something/someone]
1/ðə dˌɪsəpˈɪɹəns əv səmˈɛθɪŋsˈoʊmˈoʊn/
fixed phrase
talking about what has disappeared
A common way to say that a person or thing is no longer there, seen, or existing.
Examples
- The disappearance of my passport nearly ruined our holiday.
- Experts are worried about the disappearance of bees from many parts of the world.
- The film explores the disappearance of a young woman in a small town.