definitions

perishing

[ per-i-shing ]
/ ˈpɛr ɪ ʃɪŋ /
||

adjective

causing destruction, ruin, extreme discomfort, or death: lost in the perishing cold.

RELATED WORDS

disintegrate, crumble, wither, cease, disappear, vanish, rot, succumb, decease, depart, collapse, pass, corrupt, expire, demise, fall, go, end, waste, decompose

Nearby words

periscopic, perish, perish the thought, perishable, perished, perishing, perisigmoiditis, perisperm, perispermatitis, perisplanchnitis, perisplenitis

Origin of perishing

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; see origin at perish, -ing2

Related forms

per·ish·ing·ly, adverbnon·per·ish·ing, adjectiveun·per·ish·ing, adjective

Definition for perishing (2 of 2)

perish

[ per-ish ]
/ ˈpɛr ɪʃ /

verb (used without object)

to die or be destroyed through violence, privation, etc.: to perish in an earthquake.
to pass away or disappear: an age of elegance that has forever perished.
to suffer destruction or ruin: His valuable paintings perished in the fire.
to suffer spiritual death: Save us, lest we perish.

Origin of perish

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

SYNONYMS FOR perish

1 expire.
2 wither, shrivel, rot, molder, vanish.

ANTONYMS FOR perish

2 appear.

Related forms

per·ish·less, adjectiveper·ish·ment, nounun·per·ished, adjective

Synonym study

1. See die1.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for perishing

British Dictionary definitions for perishing (1 of 2)

perishing

/ (ˈpɛrɪʃɪŋ) /

adjective

informal (of weather, etc) extremely cold
slang (intensifier qualifying something undesirable)it's a perishing nuisance!

Derived Forms

perishingly, adverb

British Dictionary definitions for perishing (2 of 2)

perish

/ (ˈpɛrɪʃ) /

verb (intr)

to be destroyed or die, esp in an untimely way
(tr sometimes followed by with or from) to cause to sufferwe were perished with cold
to rotleather perishes if exposed to bad weather
perish the thought! may it never be or happen thus

noun

do a perish Australian informal to die or come near to dying of thirst or starvation

Word Origin for perish

C13: from Old French périr, from Latin perīre to pass away entirely, from per- (away) + īre to go
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Idioms and Phrases with perishing

perish

In addition to the idiom beginning with perish

  • perish the thought

also see:

  • publish or perish
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.