vanish
/ˈvænɪʃ/
VERB
1. To disappear from sight or become invisible
To cease to be visible or move out of view, often suddenly, mysteriously, or without anyone noticing.
1.1. Disappearing from someone's view
To become impossible to see or to move out of sight, especially suddenly or unexpectedly.
Synonyms
- disappear
- fade
- fade away
- evanesce
- dematerialize
- become invisible
- drop out of sight
- go out of sight
Antonyms
- appear
- emerge
- materialize
- come into view
- show up
Examples
- The magician made the coin vanish before the audience's eyes.
- The ship gradually vanished into the thick fog.
- The suspect vanished from sight before the police could approach.
Related Words
- invisibility
- disappearance
- obscurity
- concealment
- evanescence
- withdrawal
1.2. Leaving or disappearing without explanation
To go away or disappear suddenly and unexpectedly, often without telling anyone where one is going or leaving any trace.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Examples
- He vanished without telling his family where he was going.
- The witness vanished before investigators could question her.
- The employee seemed to vanish whenever an important task needed attention.
Related Words
- absence
- missing person
- escape
- departure
- flight
- elopement
VERB
2. To cease to exist or disappear completely
To stop existing, being present, or having an effect, often gradually or permanently.
2.1. Disappearing completely or ceasing to exist
To cease to exist or be present, especially when something is removed, lost, or gradually disappears.
Synonyms
- disappear
- cease to exist
- perish
- die out
- become extinct
- dissolve
- evaporate
Antonyms
Examples
- Many traditional customs have vanished over the past century.
- Several species could vanish if their natural habitats continue to disappear.
- The old system gradually vanished as new technology became widespread.
Related Words
- extinction
- annihilation
- eradication
- dissolution
- obsolescence
- elimination
2.2. Fading away or dissipating
To gradually become weaker, less noticeable, or completely gone, especially when referring to light, sounds, feelings, hopes, or physical substances.
Synonyms
Antonyms
- intensify
- increase
- strengthen
- grow
- accumulate
Examples
- Her fears began to vanish as she became more confident.
- The morning mist slowly vanished under the warm sunlight.
- The sound of the distant music vanished into the night.
Related Words
VERB
3. To become equal to zero
To approach or reach a value of zero, particularly in mathematical or scientific contexts.
3.1. A mathematical quantity becoming zero
To decrease until a numerical value, variable, expression, or mathematical quantity reaches zero or approaches zero as a limit.
Synonyms
- become zero
- approach zero
- reduce to zero
- decrease to zero
- tend to zero
Antonyms
- increase
- grow
- become positive
- become nonzero
Examples
- The function vanishes at the point where its value equals zero.
- As the variable approaches infinity, the expression vanishes.
- The difference between the two quantities vanishes when they become equal.
Related Words
- zero
- limit
- convergence
- tending to zero
- mathematical expression
- asymptote
NOUN
4. A magic trick in which something disappears
A stage illusion or magic trick in which an object or person appears to disappear from view.
4.1. Magical disappearance illusion
A performance in which a magician makes an object, animal, or person seemingly disappear through sleight of hand, concealment, or stage illusion.
Synonyms
- disappearance illusion
- vanishing trick
- magic disappearance
Examples
- The magician performed a spectacular vanish that amazed the audience.
- The vanish involved making a large box disappear from the stage.
- The performer practiced the illusion until the vanish looked completely effortless.
Related Words
- magic trick
- illusion
- sleight of hand
- conjuring
- stage magic
- prestidigitation
NOUN
5. The terminal part of a vowel or vocal sound
The brief final portion of a vowel or vocal element that differs somewhat in sound quality from its main portion.
5.1. Final glide in a vowel sound
The closing portion of a complex vowel or vocal sound, particularly a diphthong, in which the sound quality shifts from its main vowel element.
Synonyms
- off-glide
- terminal glide
- vowel glide
Examples
- The linguist examined the vanish at the end of the diphthong.
- The final glide changes the acoustic quality of the vowel.
- The study compared the main vowel element with its terminal glide.
Related Words
- phonetics
- phonology
- diphthong
- vowel
- vocal element
- articulation