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

My father worked in the garment district on Delancey Street — the same neighborhood where, decades earlier, women perished in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire because factory owners decided safety precautions cost too much. —Michelle A. Williams, STAT, 2 Feb. 2026

Not long after Bubba's funeral, the men who killed him begin to perish in a series of mysterious accidents. —Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Jan. 2026

The toll includes three Texas brothers — ages 6, 8 and 9 — who perished after falling through the frozen surface of a pond in Texas. —Russ Bynum, Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2026

The pilot, Jacob Hosmer, 47, also perished in the crash, his father, Gary, told KPRC2. —Greg Norman-Diamond, FOXNews.com, 28 Jan. 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