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
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
At least 70 whales have perished since the start of the year in the shallow, protected lagoons of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula where the animals have congregated for eons to calf, nurse and breed, said Steven Swartz, a marine scientist who has studied gray whales since 1977.
—Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2025
At least 70 whales have perished since the start of the year in the shallow lagoons of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula where the animals gather to calf, nurse and breed.
—Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2025
Some died from starvation, disease, and murder, and others perished accidentally as a result of Israeli military operations.
—Amos Harel, Foreign Affairs, 7 Apr. 2025
Researchers anticipate that upcoming tests, including DNA and strontium isotope analysis, will reveal further details about the men who perished in this battle 2,000 years ago.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 5 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for perish
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Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2025
At least 70 whales have perished since the start of the year in the shallow lagoons of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula where the animals gather to calf, nurse and breed.
—Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2025
Some died from starvation, disease, and murder, and others perished accidentally as a result of Israeli military operations.
—Amos Harel, Foreign Affairs, 7 Apr. 2025
Researchers anticipate that upcoming tests, including DNA and strontium isotope analysis, will reveal further details about the men who perished in this battle 2,000 years ago.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 5 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for perish
Cite this Entry
“Perish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perish. Accessed 18 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
perish
verb
per·ish
ˈper-ish 
: to pass away completely : become destroyed
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