Dictionary.com

perish

[ per-ish ]
/ ˈpɛr ɪʃ /
Save This Word!
See synonyms for: perish / perished / perishing on Thesaurus.com
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.
QUIZ
WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?
Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!
Question 1 of 7
Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.
who
whom
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms about perish

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

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

synonym study for perish

1. See die1.

OTHER WORDS FROM perish

per·ish·less, adjectiveper·ish·ment, nounun·per·ished, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to perish

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

British Dictionary definitions for perish

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with perish

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