perish
perish Lexical Profile
perish Game Scores & Validity
• verb
To suffer death or lose one's life, typically in a sudden, untimely, or harsh manner.
"Several early polar explorers perished during the harsh winter expedition."
To suffer complete ruin or destruction; to cease to exist (especially of empires, institutions, or ideas).
"Without careful preservation, many ancient manuscripts would have perished centuries ago."
To rot, decay, or lose normal structural qualities (especially of food, rubber, or organic materials).
"The rubber seals around the old windows had perished after years of exposure to the sun."
• Rhymes for perish
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed from Old French periss-, the extended stem of perir ('to perish, be lost'), from Latin perire ('to pass away, be destroyed'), formed from per- ('completely, to destruction') and ire ('to go').