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

The names of those who perished were being withheld by authorities pending notification of relatives. —Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 21 June 2026

The backstory of the works by the composers who perished is obviously compelling, but the lightning bolt that struck Conlon first was the music. —Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2026

In the wake of the tragedy, stories have started to emerge about the victims who perished in the crash. —Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 17 June 2026

The two men perished during a tandem BASE jump in remote Mineral Bottom, the Grand County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO) told the Moab Sun News. —Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 16 June 2026

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