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

• die
• fall

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 books of ancient Alexandria seem to have perished mainly by rot and neglect, not in a single blaze. —Literary Hub, 22 Oct. 2025

Along the way, Gustav and his crew come across notes from past expeditions that have perished before them, as well as encounter powerful enemies that block their path. —PC Magazine, 20 Oct. 2025

The study continued until deportations to the Treblinka extermination camp, where many of the researchers would ultimately perish, began, in 1942. —Clayton Dalton, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2025

To hunt, to hide, or simply to endure where others would perish. —Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2025

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