perish the thought
idiom
—used to say that something will not happen or that one hopes that something will not happen
What? Me help him out? Perish the thought.
Who would take over as goalie if, perish the thought, he got injured?
Examples of perish the thought in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
That’s exactly what will happen — perish the thought — if Donald Trump is elected president in November.
—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 4 July 2024
The worst part of grocery shopping is waiting in the inevitably-long checkout line (perish the thought of completing your haul on a Sunday afternoon).
—Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Apr. 2024
However, if Baby Jessica didn’t make it — perish the thought!
—Kevin Falls, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 June 2023
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 4 July 2024
The worst part of grocery shopping is waiting in the inevitably-long checkout line (perish the thought of completing your haul on a Sunday afternoon).
—Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Apr. 2024
However, if Baby Jessica didn’t make it — perish the thought!
—Kevin Falls, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 June 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'perish the thought.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near perish the thought
Cite this Entry
“Perish the thought.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perish%20the%20thought. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.
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