disappear
/ˌdɪsəˈpɪə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌdɪsəˈpɪr/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌdis-ə-ˈpir/ (ame, mw)
disappear — 動詞
1. to move out of sight, or to reach a place where nobody can see or find you
消失
從視線中消失，無法被看見或找到
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.
Yuki 抬起頭，看見那隻貓消失在花園牆後面。
disappear + behind [physical object]
The sun disappeared below the horizon just before seven.
太陽在快七點時消失在地平線下方。
Talia searched everywhere, but her keys had simply disappeared.
Talia 到處都找過了，但她的鑰匙就這麼消失了。
When the police arrived, the men had already disappeared into the night.
警察抵達時，那些男人早已消失在夜色中。
A small brown bird disappeared from view as it flew into the bushes.
一隻棕色小鳥飛進灌木叢，從視野中消失了。
- 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
消亡；絕跡
不再存在，永久消失
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.
隨著城市不斷擴張，許多老傳統已經消失了。
disappear as [something happens] — cause-effect pattern
The pain in Indra's shoulder disappeared after two days of rest.
Indra 肩膀的疼痛在休息兩天後就消失了。
Several bird species have disappeared from this island since 1950.
自1950年以來，已有好幾種鳥類從這座島上絕跡了。
Folake's smile disappeared the moment she read the email.
Folake 讀完那封電子郵件後，笑容立刻消失了。
João says that the housing problem will not just disappear on its own.
João 說住房問題不會就這樣自己消失的。
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
強制失蹤
因政治原因被綁架、秘密囚禁或殺害
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.
獨裁時期，數百名學生被安全部隊秘密帶走後下落不明。
passive: [person] was disappeared by [institution]
The regime was accused of disappearing journalists who wrote about government corruption.
該政權被指控綁架了報導政府腐敗的記者。
active transitive: [government] disappeared [person]
Ravindra's uncle was disappeared in 1987, and the family never learned his fate.
Ravindra 的叔叔在1987年被秘密帶走，家人從此不知他的下落。
A UN report documented cases of activists being disappeared for their political beliefs.
一份聯合國報告記錄了活躍人士因政治信仰而遭強制失蹤的案件。
- 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
銷毀；藏匿
秘密或非法移除使人無法找到
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.
那位會計在稅務稽查前夕把所有財務記錄都偷偷銷毀了。
disappear + [incriminating documents]
Caleb was caught on video trying to disappear the evidence from his locker.
Caleb 試圖從置物櫃裡銷毀證據，全被監視器拍了下來。
Someone disappeared the signed contract from the office while everyone was at lunch.
趁大家去吃午飯的時候，有人把那份簽好的合約從辦公室裡偷偷拿走了。
The security footage from that night was mysteriously disappeared before the trial.
那晚的監視器畫面在審判前就離奇地消失了。
- 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.