This is the 4326th most frequent German word.
fehlende
"Fehlende" (adjective/participle) means "missing" or "lacking" in English.
Here, 'fehlende' modifies 'Zutat', meaning missing or lacking, indicating an absent part necessary for completion.
Die fehlende Zutat machte das Rezept unvollständig.
The missing ingredient made the recipe incomplete.
Here, 'fehlendes' describes 'Interesse', referring to its absence or lacking nature within the context.
Ihr fehlendes Interesse an dem Thema war offensichtlich.
Her lack of interest in the subject was obvious.
In this sentence, 'fehlende' qualifies 'Puzzle-Stück', signifying that it was missing but has a potential to be discovered.