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
Those who didn’t die onboard eventually tried to walk to across the frozen waters to mainland Canada, perishing on their journey.
—Katherine McLaughlin, Architectural Digest, 10 Feb. 2026
Galen tried to slow the wave of illness, but most of the people in Aquileia perished.
—Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 9 Feb. 2026
Eighteen people have now perished in the city’s brutal cold stretch, Mayor Mamdani said Monday.
—Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 9 Feb. 2026
Cile, 8 years old at the time, was one of the 27 children and counselors at Camp Mystic, a venerable Christian summer camp for girls, who perished in the flood.
—Corky Siemaszko, NBC news, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for perish
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Katherine McLaughlin, Architectural Digest, 10 Feb. 2026
Galen tried to slow the wave of illness, but most of the people in Aquileia perished.
—Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 9 Feb. 2026
Eighteen people have now perished in the city’s brutal cold stretch, Mayor Mamdani said Monday.
—Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 9 Feb. 2026
Cile, 8 years old at the time, was one of the 27 children and counselors at Camp Mystic, a venerable Christian summer camp for girls, who perished in the flood.
—Corky Siemaszko, NBC news, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for perish
Cite this Entry
“Perish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perish. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
perish
verb
per·ish
ˈper-ish 
: to pass away completely : become destroyed
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