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

Officials did not immediately release the names of those who perished, but Lenore Bangura told ABC Toledo affiliate station WTVG that her mother, Mary Allen, was killed in the explosion. — Ahmad Hemingway, ABC News, 18 Aug. 2026

Before the service began, a worshiper read aloud the names of some 200 parishioners who perished. — Mery Mogollón, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026

And since the gun-toting librarian who would go on to save the remaining Platts at a vital moment was among the neighbors rescued from this second teleportation, does this mean the children perish too? — Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 13 Aug. 2026

The hypothesis that Earhart and Noonan landed on Nikumaroro and later perished there has gained steam in recent years. — Christopher Cann, USA Today, 12 Aug. 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