perish

verb

per·​ish ˈper-ish How to pronounce perish (audio)
ˈpe-rish
perished; perishing; perishes

intransitive verb

1
: to become destroyed or ruined : cease to exist
recollection of a past already long since perishedPhilip Sherrard
guard against your mistakes or your attempts (perish the thought) to cheatC. B. Davis
2
chiefly British : deteriorate, spoil

transitive verb

1
chiefly British : to cause to die : destroy
2

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 After the Nazi occupation turned Lodz into a ghetto, her mum, dad, and two elder brothers perished. Hazlitt, 6 Mar. 2024 In less than six months, such an outbreak would cause millions of people to suffer and perish throughout the world. Chuck Brooks, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 The woman’s death was the sixth fire fatality in St. Paul this year, including four children who perished after a fire in their home on Jan. 3. Mara H. Gottfried, Twin Cities, 8 Feb. 2024 Around 900,000 older adults have died of Covid-19 to date, accounting for 3 of every 4 Americans who have perished in the pandemic. Judith Graham, CNN, 8 Feb. 2024 Perfect Russians, saying Russians do not surrender, and all of them perished. Will Ripley, CNN, 26 Feb. 2024 Sylvia Ruud’s death was the sixth fire fatality in St. Paul this year, including four children who perished after a fire in their home on Jan. 3. Mara H. Gottfried, Twin Cities, 12 Feb. 2024 Around 900,000 older adults have died of covid-19 to date, accounting for 3 of every 4 Americans who have perished in the pandemic. Judith Graham, Fortune Well, 10 Feb. 2024 When the world's nicest couple (Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin) perish and become ghosts, only a certain depressed goth princess named Lydia (Winona Ryder, who else) can see them. Debby Wolfinsohn, EW.com, 4 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'perish.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of perish was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near perish

Cite this Entry

“Perish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perish. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

perish

verb
per·​ish ˈper-ish How to pronounce perish (audio)
: to pass away completely : become destroyed

More from Merriam-Webster on perish

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