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perish

17 synonyms and 0 antonyms for perish, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Verb — To die, especially suddenly or violently.

Synonyms

Everyday swaps

Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

conk croak decease pop off snuff it pass away drop dead buy the farm kick the bucket give-up the ghost cash in one's chips

How to use perish

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

perish in the fire perishable goods perish the thought

Etymology

From Old French perir, from Latin perire ("to pass away"), from per- ("through") + ire ("to go").

Full origin of perish →

Frequently asked questions

What does “perish” mean?

The word “perish” means to die, especially suddenly or violently. In plain terms, to die, or — for materials — to rot and become unusable.

How do you pronounce “perish”?

“Perish” is pronounced PEH-rihsh (/ˈpɛɹɪʃ/ in IPA).

How do you use “perish” in a sentence?

Here is “perish” used in a sentence: “Hundreds perished when the ship sank.”

What part of speech is “perish”?

“Perish” is a verb.

Where does the word “perish” come from?

The word “perish” comes from Latin. From Old French perir, from Latin perire ("to pass away"), from per- ("through") + ire ("to go").

Is “perish” a common word?

“Perish” is an uncommon word in modern English.

How many meanings does “perish” have?

“Perish” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to die, especially suddenly or violently.

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Synonyms and antonyms from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA.