missing hour

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "missing hour" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to refer to a specific hour that is unaccounted for or absent, often in contexts related to time changes, such as daylight saving time. Example: "Due to the time change, we experienced a missing hour in our schedule, which caused some confusion."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

But I also felt that I had to start the process of loss all over again, which meant that it was going to take me longer to get to the final lesson — that Letterman's absence isn't just about a missing hour on TV.

The New Yorker

In the spring, when the clocks were set ahead, the missing hour of data was imputed based on the replication of the 30 minutes pre and post the event time.

BMC Public Health

The best of them — such as "Knocked Up," "The Break-Up," or "Greenberg" — have simple mechanisms that could theoretically spin for hours (in fact, when I saw "Knocked Up," I imagined it had a missing hour).

The New Yorker

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

A person with a sore throat might once have sat idly in a doctor's waiting room, missing hours of work to deal with a minor illness.

The Economist

The boy, dressed in black with blond hair dyed blue at the ends, was still missing hours after fleeing the Dimmitt Middle School in this Seattle suburb.

The New York Times

The next week several contractors were missing hours from their paychecks – the attitude toward making sure we were paid on time and correctly was very careless.

The Guardian - Tech

MOSCOW — A riverboat filled with families cruising on the Volga River sank on Sunday, and about 100 people were missing hours later, feeding fears that the episode could be the country's worst such accident in recent history.

The New York Times

The body of an American teenager was found in Rome on Monday, after a four-day search for the student who went missing hours after arriving in Italy to attend a summer school program.

The Guardian

Divers were searching the waters of the Charlotteburg Reservoir in Kinnelon, N.J., late last night for a man who was still missing hours after the fishing boat he was in with two other men capsized, the authorities said.

The New York Times

What missing hours in bed actually does to alter health, however, is unknown.

BBC

It wasn't a big deal to them and -- seeing my Jewish friends complaining and missing hours of video game and playtime on Wednesdays and Sundays -- it wasn't a big deal to me either.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When discussing daylight saving time, use "missing hour" to clearly convey the concept of the hour that disappears when clocks are advanced.

Common error

Avoid using "missing hour" interchangeably with general concepts of lost time or productivity. "Missing hour" specifically refers to an hour that is absent due to a time change or similar event, whereas "lost time" is broader and can refer to any unproductive or wasted time.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "missing hour" functions primarily as a noun phrase, typically acting as a subject or object in a sentence. It refers to an hour that is absent or unaccounted for, often due to events like daylight saving time, as shown in Ludwig's examples.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

50%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "missing hour" is used to denote an hour that is absent, frequently in situations involving time changes like daylight saving. Ludwig AI indicates that the phrase is grammatically correct and usable in written English. While infrequent, its usage is clear and context-dependent. "Missing hour" can be replaced by similar phrases such as "lost hour" or "absent hour" depending on the specific nuances you aim to convey. When writing, it's important to distinguish "missing hour" from the broader term "lost time" to maintain clarity. Overall, while not a very common phrase, "missing hour" is a valid and useful term for describing temporal absences, especially in relation to time adjustments.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

lost hour

Emphasizes the idea that the hour is gone or unaccounted for.

absent hour

Directly indicates the hour is not present or included.

skipped hour

Suggests the hour was intentionally or unintentionally bypassed.

unaccounted hour

Highlights the lack of explanation or record for the hour.

unrecorded hour

Focuses on the lack of documentation or logging of the hour.

deficient hour

Indicates a shortage or lack in the hour.

hour gap

Highlights the presence of a break or interruption in the timeframe.

hour discrepancy

Suggests an inconsistency or disagreement in the timekeeping.

time void

Emphasizes the emptiness or absence of activity during the hour.

hour shortfall

Highlights the deficit or inadequacy in the amount of time.

FAQs

How can I use "missing hour" in a sentence?

You can use "missing hour" to describe the hour that is skipped when clocks are moved forward for daylight saving time. For example, "Daylight saving time resulted in a "missing hour" on Sunday morning".

What is an alternative to saying "missing hour"?

Alternatives to "missing hour" include phrases like "lost hour", "absent hour", or "skipped hour" depending on the specific context.

Is it correct to say "the missing hour" or simply "missing hour"?

Both "the missing hour" and "missing hour" are grammatically correct. The choice depends on the context. Using "the" specifies a particular hour, while omitting it can refer to the general concept.

What causes a "missing hour"?

A "missing hour" typically occurs during the transition to daylight saving time, when clocks are advanced by one hour, effectively removing an hour from the day.