imperishable
Americanadjective
adjective
-
not subject to decay or deterioration
imperishable goods
-
not likely to be forgotten
imperishable truths
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of imperishable
First recorded in 1640–50; im- 2 + perishable
Explanation
Anything imperishable is made to last, like a marble statue or true love. Imperishable things endure. To perish is to die. Things that are imperishable don't. You may have heard of perishable food, the kind that will go bad eventually, like fresh fruit or a ham sandwich. Imperishable foods will always be fine to eat, like a bag of dried beans. There can also be imperishable ideas and beliefs, like imperishable hope or imperishable truth. Certain heroes like James Bond seem to be imperishable, especially in the movie Never Say Die.
Vocabulary lists containing imperishable
Slaughterhouse-Five
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3.2: Postclassical States: Byzantine Empire and European Kingdoms (Sources 1–8)
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"Like Sherlock Holmes, it's an imperishable myth and, really, if anyone gives you the chance to have a go at it - you have to do it," he explains.
From BBC • Oct. 30, 2024
In Mexico, far from the locus of her imperishable pain, Chaarte found moments of peace.
From Seattle Times • Jan. 7, 2024
It is an imperishable, unforgettable image of what can be lost when we forget how perishable is the thin crust of civilization that protects us — until it doesn’t.
From Washington Post • Sep. 16, 2022
First performed on Broadway in 1957 and brought to the screen four years later, it survives as both a time capsule and a reservoir of imperishable songs.
From New York Times • Dec. 8, 2021
No matter how hard he tried, he never developed any imperishable allegiances to the washed-out, bloodless Marine bases where he had lived for most of his seventeen years.
From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
