perished; perishing; perishes
1
: to become destroyed or ruined : cease to exist
… recollection of a past already long since perished.—
Philip Sherrard
Philip Sherrardguard against your mistakes or your attempts (perish the thought) to cheat—C. B. Davis
C. B. Davis2
chiefly British
: deteriorate, spoil
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
If the Tribune cannot find the story in the tragic events of a young, dedicated firefighter perishing in an arson fire while searching for victims to rescue, maybe leave this story for the journalists who managed to treat the victims of this story with dignity.
—Chicago Tribune, 25 Mar. 2026
Although no monument can remember the 168 people who perished that day, the thousands injured or the countless families changed forever by one heinous act, the memorial is tasteful, poignant and impactful.
—Allen Buchanan, Oc Register, 21 Mar. 2026
Instead, we were greeted by patchworks in which trees that had perished and trees that had been only partially burned commingled with those that appeared completely untouched.
—New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026
On July 16, 1999, the trio perished when the single-engine plane Kennedy was piloting crashed into the Atlantic Ocean near Martha's Vineyard.
—Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 14 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for perish
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Chicago Tribune, 25 Mar. 2026
Although no monument can remember the 168 people who perished that day, the thousands injured or the countless families changed forever by one heinous act, the memorial is tasteful, poignant and impactful.
—Allen Buchanan, Oc Register, 21 Mar. 2026
Instead, we were greeted by patchworks in which trees that had perished and trees that had been only partially burned commingled with those that appeared completely untouched.
—New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026
On July 16, 1999, the trio perished when the single-engine plane Kennedy was piloting crashed into the Atlantic Ocean near Martha's Vineyard.
—Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 14 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for perish
Cite this Entry
“Perish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perish. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
perish
verb
per·ish
ˈper-ish 
: to pass away completely : become destroyed
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