PERISH Synonyms: 98 Similar and Opposite Words

perish

verb

ˈper-ish

Definition of perish

as in to die

to stop living 12 people perished in the plane crash

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to disintegrate

chiefly British to go through decomposition after being left out in the summer heat, the milk perished and had to be thrown out

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of perish While the crown prince managed to free himself from the dragon before sinking, Triarchy crossbowmen peppered him from a nearby ship, and both dragon and rider perished. — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026 And that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth. — Eric MacK, FOXNews.com, 4 July 2026 Known as the Heaven’s 27 Camp Safety Act — named for the 25 girls and two teenage counselors who perished at Mystic last year — it was signed into law in Texas in September. — Johnny Dodd, PEOPLE, 1 July 2026 The pallor of mortality is a reminder, for some, of the heat wave in the summer of 2003, when nearly fifteen thousand people perished in France. — Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 27 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for perish

Recent Examples of Synonyms for perish

Verb

That would give the planet more time to drift outward as the dying sun sheds its outer layers into space, potentially avoiding engulfment altogether.

— Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 8 July 2026
The obvious gem of the collection is the attention-getting title story, about the Canadian Nobel laureate Alice Munro, who died in 2024 — and whose complex, layered short fiction Aviv admires.

— Julia M. Klein, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026

Definition of die

Verb

In the two-thousands, after the State disintegrated, Wain and two other members, Michael Showalter and Michael Ian Black, formed the trio Stella, which helped define New York’s downtown alt-comedy scene.

— Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 5 July 2026
That changed in April 2023 when unknowing construction workers unceremoniously removed a disintegrating Pinky from its eyrie.

— Ryan Steven Green, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2026

Definition of disintegrate

Verb

Some older employees who have benefited from a booming stock market may be retiring feeling comfortable with their 401(k)s, though that doesn’t explain why the participation rate for people ages 25 to 55 has fallen.

— Rachel Barber, USA Today, 9 July 2026
But for some Atlanta businesses, the major soccer tournament has fallen far short of expectations.

— Amy Wenk, AJC.com, 9 July 2026

Definition of fall

Verb

What remains that haven’t been scavenged have decomposed to the point where DNA analysis is difficult and all but useless in Gaza, where there are no functioning laboratories able to test and compare samples.

— Bilal Shbeir, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
Earwigs primarily feed on plants and decomposing organic matter and do not infest or damage stored food in the way some beetles, weevils, and moths might.

— Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 July 2026

Definition of decompose

Verb

One boy, 12, succumbed to the heat and passed out, with EMS medics and police rushing to help him, according to PIX 11.

— Julian Roberts-Grmela, New York Daily News, 4 July 2026
On Thursday at Wimbledon, a couple of players were unable to do so, succumbing to Nadal’s Law.

— Ava Wallace, New York Times, 2 July 2026

Definition of succumb

Verb

In his inital letter, Lehmkuhl agreed that there is an urgent need to clear debris and address the persistent odor of millions of pounds of rotting food at the site.

— Jasmine Mendez Follow, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2026
Applying mulch directly against plant stems traps moisture, leading to rotting and other issues.

— Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 July 2026

Definition of rot

Verb

Leave some messiness in your garden and leave the leaves, as decaying leaves are great habitat for fireflies.

— Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 5 July 2026
Many kinds of fly larvae eat dead or decaying tissue and may sometimes end up on meat, but New World screwworm larvae need living tissue to survive and develop.

— Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 5 July 2026