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

• check out
• conk (out)
• croak [slang]
• decease
• demise
• depart
• die
• drop
• end
• exit
• expire
• fall
• flatline
• go
• kick in [slang]
• kick off [slang]
• part
• pass (on)
• pass away
• peg out [chiefly British]
• pop off
• step out
• 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

Historical records indicated that between 1804 and the Civil War, dozens of enslaved people perished at The Hermitage, but their burial site had faded from collective memory. —Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 12 Dec. 2024

The people who lived here over 5,600 years ago ate mostly plants, farmed, and some may have perished in an accidental fire. —Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 11 Dec. 2024

The motel stands next to the Old Tonopah Cemetery, most of whose residents perished between 1900 and 1911, often in mining accidents. —Christopher Reynolds, Los Angeles Times, 3 Dec. 2024

Shortly thereafter Gianni’s only son perished in what appeared to be a suicide. —Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 2 Dec. 2024

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

Kids Definition

perish

verb

per·​ish ˈper-ish 

: to pass away completely : become destroyed