disappearing
noun
Disappearing — the ongoing act of slipping away, unseen and unexplained
Definition
The act of leaving secretly or without explanation
In depth
Disappearing names the act of leaving secretly or without explanation, emphasizing the process or ongoing nature of the act rather than its completed state. The word can describe a sudden vanishing or a slower, more gradual fading from presence and visibility.
Origin
The word shares its root with 'disappearance,' both built from 'appear,' from Latin apparere. Its grammatical form as a present participle allows it to describe ongoing, continuous loss of presence, distinct from the completed, often more clinical noun form, and suits prose wanting to dwell on the process rather than the fact of absence.
Usage examples
"The magician's disappearing act remained, after fifty years, the single trick no one had ever fully figured out."
"She had a way of disappearing into work whenever the conversation turned too personal."
"Glaciers around the world are disappearing at a rate scientists had not predicted even a decade ago."
How to use it
Disappearing works naturally as both a literal description of departure and a figurative description of emotional withdrawal or gradual decline, particularly common in environmental and psychological writing alike.
Related concepts
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