perishable

adjective

per·​ish·​able ˈper-i-shə-bəl 

ˈpe-ri-

: liable to perish : liable to spoil or decay

such perishable products as fruit, vegetables, butter, and eggs

perishability

ˌper-i-shə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

ˌpe-ri-

noun

perishable noun

Examples of perishable in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

There's no immediate timeline, but time is of the essence as the members rely heavily on perishable throws of cabbage, carrots, onions and more. —Carlie Kollath Wells, Axios, 13 Mar. 2025

While hard cheeses store well, soft cheeses are more perishable. —Aldo Svaldi, The Denver Post, 12 Mar. 2025

One Arizona distributor, handling 5 million boxes of Mexican produce annually, stated that without the tariff adjustments, perishable items like tomatoes and vegetables could be left unsold in fields or stuck in warehouses. —Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 5 Mar. 2025

Though youth, energy and beauty may be perishable — and rejection is a constant — be strong, stay soft and never give up. —Pamela Anderson, People.com, 19 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for perishable

• imperishable

Kids Definition

perishable

adjective

per·​ish·​able ˈper-ish-ə-bəl 

: likely to spoil or decay

perishable fruit

perishable noun