perished; perishing; perishes
1
: to become destroyed or ruined : cease to exist
recollection of a past already long since perished—
Philip Sherrard
Philip Sherrardguard against your mistakes or your attempts (perish the thought) to cheat—C. B. Davis
C. B. Davis2
chiefly British
: deteriorate, spoil
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
In 2024, the agency launched its Tokyo Prison Fire Project, with a goal of identifying the American service members who perished in the 1945 blaze.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Apr. 2025
The veterans slowly walked to the epitaph with the help of service members to pay tribute to their fellow Marines and sailors who perished there.
—Arkansas Online, 30 Mar. 2025
Gaston County resident Steven Michael waited 16 months for an investigation to rule out foul play in the death of his father, who perished in a Dallas, N.C. house fire.
—Ames Alexander, Charlotte Observer, 20 Mar. 2025
The narrative reveals these new pursuits are connected to promises made to their deceased family member Seung-hyun, who perished in the tragic Sewol ferry incident.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 19 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for perish
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Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Apr. 2025
The veterans slowly walked to the epitaph with the help of service members to pay tribute to their fellow Marines and sailors who perished there.
—Arkansas Online, 30 Mar. 2025
Gaston County resident Steven Michael waited 16 months for an investigation to rule out foul play in the death of his father, who perished in a Dallas, N.C. house fire.
—Ames Alexander, Charlotte Observer, 20 Mar. 2025
The narrative reveals these new pursuits are connected to promises made to their deceased family member Seung-hyun, who perished in the tragic Sewol ferry incident.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 19 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for perish
Cite this Entry
“Perish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perish. Accessed 8 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
perish
verb
per·ish
ˈper-ish 
: to pass away completely : become destroyed
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