perishing

[ per-i-shing ]

adjective

1. causing destruction, ruin, extreme discomfort, or death:

   lost in the perishing cold.

perishing

/ ˈpɛrɪʃɪŋ /

adjective

1. informal.
   (of weather, etc) extremely cold
2. slang.
   (intensifier qualifying something undesirable)

   it's a perishing nuisance!

Derived Forms

• ˈperishingly, adverb

Other Words From

• perish·ing·ly adverb
• non·perish·ing adjective
• un·perish·ing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of perishing¹

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; perish, -ing ²

Example Sentences

In "the haste of the workers, the feeling for form itself, the ear and eye for the melody of movements are [. . .] perishing."

From The Daily Beast

His soul was tossed on the billows of a tempestuous ocean, in the midst of which he saw his father perishing.

From Project Gutenberg

A perishing formation loses moral force in more rapid progression than the mere loss of members would seem to warrant.

From Project Gutenberg

The claims of countrymen perishing for lack of knowledge, on those who know the truth, are strong.

From Project Gutenberg

It is easy to imagine the gratitude and joy of the nine perishing men who were rescued from an awful death!

From Project Gutenberg

She had the fixed look of one who watches the perishing under her eyes of a beloved dream.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• blight
• corrosion
• decomposition
• degeneration
• deterioration
• disintegration
• disrepair
• extinction
• impairment
• rot