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 of perish

• die
• fall
• succumb

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

Beyond the dolphins, thousands of fish perished, disrupting food supplies for riverside families. —Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 12 Nov. 2025

Families of those who perished in raging floodwaters at an all-girls camp in Texas this summer are suing the camp and its owners and operators, accusing them of negligence and reckless disregard. —Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 11 Nov. 2025

On Sunday, family members of the crew who perished gathered at Mariners' Church of Detroit to commemorate the shipwreck. —Leah Olajide, Freep.com, 10 Nov. 2025

Researchers hypothesize that Earhart did not crash at sea, but instead landed and was stranded on Nikumaroro Island, later perishing there. —Ashley J. Dimella, FOXNews.com, 7 Nov. 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