perish

verb

per·​ish ˈper-ish 

ˈpe-rish

perished; perishing; perishes

intransitive verb

1

: to become destroyed or ruined : cease to exist

recollection of a past already long since perished

—Philip Sherrard

guard against your mistakes or your attempts (perish the thought) to cheat

—C. B. Davis

2

chiefly British : deteriorate, spoil

transitive verb

1

chiefly British : to cause to die : destroy

2

: weaken, benumb

Synonyms

• die
• fall

Examples of perish in a Sentence

Two people perished in the fire.

The sailors perished at sea.

The civilization perished after 500 years.

Many ancient languages have perished over time.

The rubber will perish with age.

Recent Examples on the Web

The outlet noted that the dead included a mother and daughter and three family members, who all perished together in the waters. —Gabrielle Rockson, PEOPLE, 11 Sep. 2025

For many, the image of the falling man, one of those who jumped to their death rather than perish in the flames of the Trade Center, symbolized the horror of that day. —Michael Goldstein, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025

In the summer of 2019, more than 6,200 koalas in New South Wales – 15% of the state's population – are thought to have perished in the devastating fires. —New Atlas, 9 Sep. 2025

Someone had left them to perish as Missouri experienced a heatwave, reaching temperatures of 100 degrees Fahrenheit. —Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English perisshen, from Anglo-French periss-, stem of perir, from Latin perire, from per- detrimentally + ire to go — more at per-, issue entry 1

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Phrases Containing perish

• perish the thought

Rhymes for perish

• bearish
• cherish
• farish
• garish
• squarish
• nightmarish

Kids Definition

perish

verb

per·​ish ˈper-ish 

: to pass away completely : become destroyed