vanish

verb

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

intransitive verb

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

transitive verb

: to cause to disappear
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.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The issue has also spilled over into Thailand, after a high-profile case involving 22-year-old Chinese actor Wang Xing, who vanished in Tak Province, near the Myanmar border. Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025 Authorities planned to pull several vehicles from the Columbia River on Thursday, including a car believed to have belonged to a Portland couple who vanished in 1958 while out for a drive with their three daughters, including two whose bodies washed up at a dam the following year. CBS News, 6 Mar. 2025 This advantage vanishes if diverse employees don’t feel safe expressing their unique perspectives. Ruth Rathblott, TIME, 4 Mar. 2025 Every winter in the high Arctic, for example, the sun, hidden by the tilt of the Earth, vanishes for months. Asher Elbein, WIRED, 2 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for vanish

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of vanish was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Vanish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vanish. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

vanish

verb
van·​ish ˈvan-ish How to pronounce vanish (audio)
: to pass from sight or existence
vanisher noun

More from Merriam-Webster on vanish

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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