perish

verb

per·​ish ˈper-ish How to pronounce perish (audio)
ˈpe-rish
perished; perishing; perishes

intransitive verb

1
: to become destroyed or ruined : cease to exist
recollection of a past already long since perishedPhilip Sherrard
guard against your mistakes or your attempts (perish the thought) to cheatC. B. Davis
2
chiefly British : deteriorate, spoil

transitive verb

1
chiefly British : to cause to die : destroy
2

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
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.
An additional five animals at a private animal sanctuary in Colorado — two tigers, one lion, a mountain lion and a fox — also perished from eating the food. Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 18 Jan. 2025 The thousands who have lost so much in the Los Angeles wildfires will soon wrestle with how to rebuild the lives that perished with their homes. Billy Witz, New York Times, 17 Jan. 2025 Fire victims like Zaire Calvin of Altadena, whose sister Evelyn McClendon perished in a blaze that burned down their family home, shuddered to think of another blaze like the Eaton Fire igniting. Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 15 Jan. 2025 Hallyday’s house, where his widow Laeticia lived with their two daughters, has now also perished in the fires. Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 15 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for perish 

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of perish was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near perish

Cite this Entry

“Perish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perish. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

perish

verb
per·​ish ˈper-ish How to pronounce perish (audio)
: to pass away completely : become destroyed

More from Merriam-Webster on perish

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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