perish

[per-ish]

verb (used without object)

1. to die or be destroyed through violence, privation, etc..

   to perish in an earthquake.

   Synonyms: expire

2. to pass away or disappear.

   an age of elegance that has forever perished.

   Synonyms: vanish, molder, rot, shrivel, wither
   Antonyms: appear

3. to suffer destruction or ruin.

   His valuable paintings perished in the fire.

4. to suffer spiritual death.

   Save us, lest we perish.

perish

/ ˈpɛrɪʃ /

verb

1. to be destroyed or die, esp in an untimely way

2. (tr sometimes followed by with or from) to cause to suffer

   we were perished with cold

3. to rot

   leather perishes if exposed to bad weather

4. may it never be or happen thus

noun

1. informal,  to die or come near to dying of thirst or starvation

Other Word Forms

• perishless adjective
• perishment noun
• unperished adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of perish¹

1200–50; Middle English perissen < Old French periss-, long stem of perir < Latin perīre to perish, literally, go through, spend fully, equivalent to per- per- + īre to go

Word History and Origins

Origin of perish¹

C13: from Old French périr, from Latin perīre to pass away entirely, from _per- (away) + īre to go

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. perish the thought, may it never happen: used facetiously or as an afterthought of foreboding.

More idioms and phrases containing perish

• publish or perish

Synonym Study

See die ¹.

Example Sentences

An estimated 20% of the world’s mature giant sequoias have perished in the last decade due to severe wildfires, according to the nonprofit Save the Redwoods League.

From Los Angeles Times

Scott, Bowers and Wilson continued on and made a final camp, but trapped by a freezing blizzard with dwindling supplies, all three perished.

From BBC

Today participants of different generations including a representative of the survivors offered water in a show of respect to those who perished in nuclear fire.

From BBC

Many who perished were eventually found among the remnants of their destroyed properties.

From Los Angeles Times

In the platypus attendant's logbook, the interns found evidence that his rations en route were being decreased as some of the worms began to perish.

From BBC

Related Words

• cease 
• crumble 
• disappear 
• disintegrate 
• pass away 
• rot 
• succumb 
• vanish 
• wither