disappear
/ˌdɪsəˈpɪə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌdɪsəˈpɪr/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌdis-ə-ˈpir/ (ame, mw)
disappear — verb
1. to move out of sight, or to reach a place where nobody can see or find you
to move out of sight, or to reach a place where nobody can see or find you
Yuki looked up and saw the cat disappear behind the garden wall.
disappear + behind [physical object]
The sun disappeared below the horizon just before seven.
Talia searched everywhere, but her keys had simply disappeared.
When the police arrived, the men had already disappeared into the night.
A small brown bird disappeared from view as it flew into the bushes.
- vanish
more sudden or dramatic; suggests a complete and often mysterious disappearance
- fade (away)
implies a gradual rather than sudden disappearance
- evaporate
more informal; often used for people leaving quickly or items going missing suddenly
文法句型
disappear + from/into/behind/under [place]
disappear + adverb (suddenly/slowly/completely)
用法筆記
Frequently followed by a phrase showing direction or location, such as 'behind', 'into', 'from', or 'under'.
常見錯誤
2. to stop existing forever, so that something or someone is no longer present or a
to stop existing forever, so that something or someone is no longer present or available anywhere
Many old traditions have disappeared as the city has grown bigger.
disappear as [something happens] — cause-effect pattern
The pain in Indra's shoulder disappeared after two days of rest.
Several bird species have disappeared from this island since 1950.
Folake's smile disappeared the moment she read the email.
João says that the housing problem will not just disappear on its own.
文法句型
disappear + adverb (gradually/overnight/completely)
disappear over time
3. to take someone away and secretly imprison or kill them, often because of their
to take someone away and secretly imprison or kill them, often because of their political views, without telling anyone their location or fate
During the dictatorship, hundreds of students were disappeared by the security forces.
passive: [person] was disappeared by [institution]
The regime was accused of disappearing journalists who wrote about government corruption.
active transitive: [government] disappeared [person]
Ravindra's uncle was disappeared in 1987, and the family never learned his fate.
A UN report documented cases of activists being disappeared for their political beliefs.
- abduct
general term for taking someone by force, not limited to political contexts
- forcibly disappear
the full legal/human-rights term; more precise and formal
- spirit away
more literary; implies secret removal without legal process
文法句型
[person] was disappeared by [institution]
[government] disappeared [someone]
用法筆記
Almost exclusively used in political contexts involving state or military actors. The passive form ('was disappeared') is especially common. Distinguish from sense 1: in this sense, someone else causes the disappearance, rather than the person going somewhere voluntarily.
常見錯誤
4. to make something vanish by taking it away in a secret or dishonest way, so that
to make something vanish by taking it away in a secret or dishonest way, so that nobody can find it
The accountant disappeared all the financial records just before the tax inspection.
disappear + [incriminating documents]
Caleb was caught on video trying to disappear the evidence from his locker.
Someone disappeared the signed contract from the office while everyone was at lunch.
The security footage from that night was mysteriously disappeared before the trial.
- get rid of
phrasal verb; more neutral and can be used for any kind of removal
- make disappear
a more explicit and slightly more formal alternative
- spirit away
implies moving something secretly; slightly literary
文法句型
disappear + [object] (documents/evidence/files)
be disappeared (passive) — of objects
用法筆記
This is an informal transitive use of 'disappear' common in crime, thriller, and office contexts. Unlike sense 3, it applies to objects, not people, and does not carry political overtones. Often used when someone destroys or hides evidence or records.