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
Researchers say the discovery of these genetic changes offers a glimmer of hope for the bears' survival, as two-thirds of the world’s population could perish by 2050.
—Briana Alvarado, ABC News, 11 Dec. 2025
Many researchers also hypothesize that aviation trailblazer Earhart did not crash her plane at sea, but instead landed and was stranded on Nikumaroro Island, later perishing there.
—Ashley J. Dimella, FOXNews.com, 10 Dec. 2025
Most of the people who perished in the fire were women, including one who was pregnant, the police chief told the BBC, sharing that the victims likely died due to asphyxiation from smoke rather than burns.
—Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 9 Dec. 2025
David Harbour's Jim Hopper was also found alive in Stranger Things 4, after appearing to have perished just a season earlier.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for perish
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Briana Alvarado, ABC News, 11 Dec. 2025
Many researchers also hypothesize that aviation trailblazer Earhart did not crash her plane at sea, but instead landed and was stranded on Nikumaroro Island, later perishing there.
—Ashley J. Dimella, FOXNews.com, 10 Dec. 2025
Most of the people who perished in the fire were women, including one who was pregnant, the police chief told the BBC, sharing that the victims likely died due to asphyxiation from smoke rather than burns.
—Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 9 Dec. 2025
David Harbour's Jim Hopper was also found alive in Stranger Things 4, after appearing to have perished just a season earlier.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for perish
Cite this Entry
“Perish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perish. Accessed 16 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
perish
verb
per·ish
ˈper-ish 
: to pass away completely : become destroyed
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