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
Synonyms
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
As an elder goose notes, Brightbill would likely have perished had he not been adopted by a creature with the dedication to raise him and the skills (extendable arms, logical deduction) to keep him alive.
—Elvia Wilk, The Atlantic, 18 Dec. 2024
Her husband, John Jacob Astor the IV perished aboard the ship.
—Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 17 Dec. 2024
Residents would have as little as 15 minutes’ notice to flee to higher ground, and as many as 10,000 would perish, according to a scenario published more than a decade ago.
—Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 6 Dec. 2024
Duccio had died years earlier, and Martini died just before the disease hit; both of the Lorenzetti brothers perished in the plague.
—Julia Binswanger, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for perish 
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Elvia Wilk, The Atlantic, 18 Dec. 2024
Her husband, John Jacob Astor the IV perished aboard the ship.
—Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 17 Dec. 2024
Residents would have as little as 15 minutes’ notice to flee to higher ground, and as many as 10,000 would perish, according to a scenario published more than a decade ago.
—Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 6 Dec. 2024
Duccio had died years earlier, and Martini died just before the disease hit; both of the Lorenzetti brothers perished in the plague.
—Julia Binswanger, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for perish
Dictionary Entries Near perish
Cite this Entry
“Perish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perish. Accessed 31 Dec. 2024.
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perish
verb
per·ish
ˈper-ish 
: to pass away completely : become destroyed
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