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
Celebrate steady financial progress rather than perishing in pursuit of perfection.
—Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 10 Mar. 2026
Ryan Phaneuf, who perished in a plane crash in Afghanistan in 2020.
—Linda Stein, Boston Herald, 10 Mar. 2026
The department said Marzan, 54, a chief warrant officer 3, was believed to have died in the tactical operations center at the Port of Shuaiba in Kuwait, where five other soldiers also perished.
—Kyle Werner, Des Moines Register, 5 Mar. 2026
In May 2024, more than 15 family members spoke at the nearly four-hour sentencing hearing in Los Angeles federal court, providing wrenching memories of children, spouses, brothers and sisters who perished in the tragedy.
—City News Service, Daily News, 4 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for perish
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Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 10 Mar. 2026
Ryan Phaneuf, who perished in a plane crash in Afghanistan in 2020.
—Linda Stein, Boston Herald, 10 Mar. 2026
The department said Marzan, 54, a chief warrant officer 3, was believed to have died in the tactical operations center at the Port of Shuaiba in Kuwait, where five other soldiers also perished.
—Kyle Werner, Des Moines Register, 5 Mar. 2026
In May 2024, more than 15 family members spoke at the nearly four-hour sentencing hearing in Los Angeles federal court, providing wrenching memories of children, spouses, brothers and sisters who perished in the tragedy.
—City News Service, Daily News, 4 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 14 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
perish
verb
per·ish
ˈper-ish 
: to pass away completely : become destroyed
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