dis ‧ ap ‧ pear S2 W2 /ˌdɪsəˈpɪə $ -ˈpɪr/ BrE AmE verb [intransitive]
[ Word Family: verb : ↑ appear ≠ ↑ disappear , ↑ reappear ; noun : ↑ appearance ≠ ↑ disappearance , ↑ reappearance ]
1 . to become impossible to see any longer SYN vanish OPP appear
disappear behind/under/into etc
The sun had disappeared behind a cloud.
disappear from view/sight
David watched her car until it disappeared from view.
At this point the path seemed to disappear altogether (=disappear completely) .
2 . to be lost, or to become impossible to find SYN vanish :
The two girls disappeared while walking home from school.
My keys have disappeared again.
disappear without trace British English without a trace American English (=without any way of finding them)
75,000 soldiers simply disappeared without trace.
3 . to stop existing:
The rain forest may disappear forever.
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COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 2)
■ adverbs
▪ simply disappear (=used to emphasize that it is very strange)
After two weeks it seemed that the boys had simply disappeared.
▪ completely/totally disappear
My spectacles have completely disappeared again.
▪ mysteriously disappear (=in a way that no one can explain)
Several reporters in the area have mysteriously disappeared.
▪ suddenly disappear
The ship had suddenly disappeared in calm waters.
■ phrases
▪ disappear without a trace ( also disappear without trace British English ) (=completely)
Hundreds of people disappear without trace every year.
▪ disappear into thin air (=completely)
The money he made has disappeared into thin air.
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THESAURUS
▪ disappear if something disappears, you cannot see it any longer, or it does not exist any longer:
The sun slowly disappeared over the horizon.
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Millions of people saw their savings disappear.
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16% of the forest cover has disappeared during the last 100 years.
▪ vanish to completely disappear, especially suddenly:
The boat vanished without trace off the coast of Australia.
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All hopes of finding the boy alive have vanished.
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The fields have vanished beneath a new town of skyscrapers and motorways.
▪ go away to stop existing – used about something bad such as a pain or a problem:
I wish this headache would go away.
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I’m afraid the problem won’t just go away.
▪ fade away to gradually become less clear, strong, or bright, and finally disappear:
Her voice began to fade away.
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His anger slowly faded away.
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The last rays of the evening sun were fading away.
▪ melt away especially literary to disappear, especially gradually – used about feelings or groups of people:
The crowd began to melt away.
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His initial excitement had melted away.
▪ die out to stop existing after gradually becoming more and more rare – used about a type of animal or plant, a disease, or a custom:
Wolves had died out in much of Europe.
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Many of the old childhood diseases have almost died out.
▪ become extinct if a type of animal or plant becomes extinct, it stops existing:
Dinosaurs became extinct millions of years ago.
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If nothing is done to save the whales, they will soon become extinct.