vanishing
/ˈvæn.ɪ.ʃɪŋ/ (bre, ipa) · [vˈænɪʃɪŋ] /ˈvæn.ɪ.ʃɪŋ/ (ame, ipa) · [vˈænɪʃɪŋ] /ˈva-nish How to pronounce vanish (audio)/ (ame, mw)
vanishing — adjective
- vanishingpositive
- more vanishingcomparative
- most vanishingsuperlative
1. beginning to slip out of sight or fade away so that it may soon no longer be see
beginning to slip out of sight or fade away so that it may soon no longer be seen or kept
The hikers followed the vanishing path through the wet grass.
before a noun: vanishing + path
Romi stared at the vanishing rainbow above the rice fields.
before a noun: vanishing + rainbow
The museum is recording a vanishing craft from the islands.
We could still see the vanishing smoke above the burned shed.
- fading
Often used for light, sound, or color that is gradually becoming weaker.
- disappearing
More neutral and slightly broader; it does not always sound as compact or literary as vanishing.
文法句型
a vanishing [noun]
vanishing path
vanishing tradition
vanishing smoke
用法筆記
Usually placed before a noun. It describes something that is in the process of disappearing, so it suggests a change still happening rather than something already gone.
vanishing — verb
- vanishingpresent simple I / you / we / they
- vanishings3rd person singular
- vanishinging-ing form
- vanishingedpast simple
1. moving or passing away from sight so that people can no longer see it
moving or passing away from sight so that people can no longer see it
The train was vanishing into the tunnel when Lara reached the platform.
pattern: vanishing into [place]
By sunrise, the last stars were vanishing above the harbor.
Imran watched the island vanishing behind a wall of rain.
The writing on the sign is vanishing under years of dust.
- disappearing
The most neutral choice for something no longer being visible.
- fading
Usually slower, especially for light, sound, or color.
- slipping away
Suggests a smooth or quiet movement out of sight.
文法句型
[subject] + is/was + vanishing
vanishing into [place]
vanishing behind [thing]
vanishing under [covering]
用法筆記
Most often used with into, behind, under, or from to show where something is slipping out of view. Compared with sense 2, this sense is about becoming unseen, not about no longer existing in the world.
常見錯誤
2. being lost from ordinary life or from the world until it is no longer there
being lost from ordinary life or from the world until it is no longer there
Many old fishing songs are vanishing from the coast villages.
vanishing from [community or place]
Snow leopards are vanishing as their mountain habitat keeps shrinking.
as-clause showing the cause
Alya fears that her grandmother's dialect is vanishing from family life.
Cash payments are vanishing in cafes that use only phone apps.
- dying out
Common for animals, customs, or habits that slowly stop existing.
- fading away
Suggests a gentle, gradual loss until nothing is left.
- declining
Focuses on becoming fewer or weaker, not always on complete disappearance.
文法句型
[subject] + is/are + vanishing
vanishing from [place or life]
vanishing as [reason]
用法筆記
The subject is usually something lasting, such as a species, custom, language, or payment method. Unlike sense 1, the point is not where it goes out of sight, but that it is gradually disappearing from real life or from the world.
常見錯誤
3. getting smaller until it reaches the value of zero in a calculation or physical
getting smaller until it reaches the value of zero in a calculation or physical process
On the graph, the blue line is vanishing as x gets close to zero.
pattern: vanishing as x gets close to zero
By the last step, the error was vanishing in the computer model.
As the room cooled, the pressure gap was vanishing between the two tanks.
The teacher showed when the extra force was vanishing in the equation.
- approaching zero
The plain technical phrase for the same mathematical idea.
- tending to zero
More formal and common in maths writing.
- growing
Becoming larger rather than shrinking toward zero.
- increasing
General opposite in calculations or measured change.
文法句型
[quantity] + is/was + vanishing
vanishing as x approaches zero
vanishing in [equation or model]
用法筆記
Used mainly in mathematics, physics, and technical writing. It usually refers to a number, error, force, or difference that is approaching zero rather than to something literally disappearing from view.
常見錯誤
4. causing a person or thing to disappear by direct action
causing a person or thing to disappear by direct action
In the film, the mirror was vanishing anyone who touched its frame.
rare transitive pattern: vanish + object
The game boss kept vanishing the player's arrows before they landed.
A burst of white fire was vanishing the notes on the desk.
The sorcerer was vanishing whole doors to trap the guards inside.
- revealing
Making something visible instead of taking it away from sight.
- bringing back
Returning something after it has disappeared.
文法句型
vanish + object
[thing] + is/was + vanishing + object
vanishing someone or something from [place]
用法筆記
This transitive use is rare and sounds literary, magical, or game-like. In everyday English, speakers usually say make something vanish rather than vanish something.