perishes; perished; perishing
1
formal + literary
: to die or be killed
Two people perished in the fire.
The sailors perished at sea.
2
formal
: to disappear or be destroyed : to cease to exist
The civilization perished after 500 years.
Many ancient languages have perished over time.
3
British
: to slowly break apart by a natural process
The rubber will perish with age.
Cite this Entry
“Perish.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/perish. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
Copy Citation
