1 vanish | Definition of vanish

vanish

verb
van·​ish | \ ˈva-nish How to pronounce vanish (audio) \
vanished; vanishing; vanishes

Definition of vanish

intransitive verb

1a : to pass quickly from sight : disappear
b : to pass completely from existence
2 : to assume the value zero

transitive verb

: to cause to disappear

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Other Words from vanish

vanisher noun

Examples of vanish in a Sentence

The missing girl vanished without a trace a year ago. The papers seem to have vanished into thin air. Dinosaurs vanished from the face of the earth millions of years ago.
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Recent Examples on the Web

That soon vanished in a flash and a frustrated group didn’t recover. Los Angeles Times, "Dodgers slump gets worse as they let win vs. Padres slip through their legs," 26 Aug. 2019 That sloppiness contributed to leads of two and three runs vanishing in the hands of their pitching staff. Nick Piecoro, azcentral, "Arizona Diamondbacks reeling after Rockies' walk-off win," 15 Aug. 2019 Iceland’s economy is on the cusp of a recession, partly because an important export, the capelin fish, vanished this year in search of colder waters. Liz Alderman, New York Times, "What Worries Iceland? A World Without Ice. It Is Preparing.," 9 Aug. 2019 Shirley Lee Widgeon Parker, a beautiful barmaid and former Urban League secretary, vanished in April. Christina Tkacik, baltimoresun.com, "How 2 unrelated deaths from 1969 inspired Baltimore crime novelist Laura Lippman’s ‘Lady in the Lake’," 23 July 2019 Middletown teen mysteriously vanishes in Michigan Sloan has not been heard from since and there has been no activity from her cell phone and no signs of her 2009 Pontiac G6. Micah Walker, Detroit Free Press, "Missing 18-year-old Ohio woman Heavenly Sloan was last seen in Ypsilanti," 11 July 2019 Day, 76, who earned fame with Disney's Mickey Mouse Club for two years in the mid-1950s, vanished in rural Oregon in July 2018. Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, "Oregon handyman charged with Mouseketeer Dennis Day's death says it's 'messed up'," 8 July 2019 Brexit meant those options vanished altogether in the 2020s. The Economist, "A different dystopia: July 2030," 6 July 2019 Getty Images Any thought that 2019 would be a predictable year in the world of celebrity news was quickly vanished in January, when Chris Pratt and Katherine Schwarzenegger announced that they were engaged after less than a year of dating. Lucy Wood, Marie Claire, "When Is Chris Pratt and Katherine Schwarzenegger's Wedding? Here's Everything We Know," 4 Feb. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'vanish.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of vanish

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

History and Etymology for vanish

Middle English vanisshen, borrowed from Anglo-French vaniss- stem of vanir, envanir, esvanir, going back to Vulgar Latin *exvānīre, restructuring of Latin ēvānēscere "to fade away, disappear," from ē- e- entry 1 + vānēscere "to pass from existence," inchoative verb derivative of vānus "empty, lacking content" — more at wane entry 1

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More Definitions for vanish

vanish

verb

English Language Learners Definition of vanish

: to disappear entirely without a clear explanation
: to stop existing

vanish

verb
van·​ish | \ ˈva-nish How to pronounce vanish (audio) \
vanished; vanishing

Kids Definition of vanish

: to pass from sight or existence : disappear

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More from Merriam-Webster on vanish

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with vanish

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for vanish

Spanish Central: Translation of vanish

Nglish: Translation of vanish for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of vanish for Arabic Speakers