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Perish for Dummies

verb

pronunciation: 'pɛrɪʃ

What does Perish really mean?

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"Perish" is a word that we often hear or read, and like many words, it can have different meanings depending on the context. So, let's break it down together and understand this word in a way that makes sense for you.

Firstly, when we talk about "perish," we mean that something comes to an end or no longer exists. It's like when a fire consumes a piece of paper, and it turns into ashes, the paper has perished. In simpler terms, when something perishes, it means that it is gone forever and can't be used or seen anymore, just like when we eat a delicious piece of candy and it's all gone, we can't enjoy it anymore.

But wait, there's more to the meaning of "perish"! It can also refer to a living thing, like plants, animals, or even people, when they die or no longer remain alive. Just imagine a beautiful flower that withers away, losing its petals and slowly dying. That flower has perished.

Now, let's think about why we use the word "perish." Sometimes, it can help us understand the consequences of actions or the importance of taking care of things. For example, if we don't water the plants, they will perish because they need water to survive, just like we need food and water to stay alive. So, knowing that flowers perish without water, we learn that we should take care of them and water them to keep them alive and flourishing.

In a broader sense, we can also use the word "perish" to talk about something disappearing or being completely destroyed. Think about a sandcastle built at the beach. When the waves crash against it, the sandcastle slowly crumbles and disappears. In this case, the sandcastle perished because it no longer exists; it is destroyed.

So, to sum it all up, "perish" means something comes to an end, disappears, or no longer exists, whether it refers to objects, like the candy being eaten or the sandcastle being destroyed, or living beings, like plants, animals, or people, when they die or are no longer alive. It can also remind us of the importance of taking care of things to prevent their perishing, just as we nurture our plants to keep them alive.

So, now that we've discussed it in detail, can you tell me how you would explain the word "perish" to someone else?


Revised and Fact checked by Lily Wilson on 2023-10-29 19:11:57

Perish In a sentece

Learn how to use Perish inside a sentece

  • When food is left out of the refrigerator for too long, it can perish and become unsafe to eat.
  • If you leave a houseplant outside during winter without protection, it will perish from the cold temperatures.
  • If you don't take care of your pet fish properly by feeding them and cleaning their tank, they may perish.
  • Leaving an open bottle of milk outside in the sun will cause it to perish and go bad quickly.
  • If you forget to water your garden during a hot summer, the plants can perish and die.

Perish Synonyms

Words that can be interchanged for the original word in the same context.

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

Perish Hypernyms

Words that are more generic than the original word.

change state turn

Perish Hyponyms

Words that are more specific than the original word.

abort asphyxiate buy it drown fall famish pip out predecease starve stifle succumb suffocate yield