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

All that’s clear is massive landmarks are perishing and that you need to run.

From Salon

Can’t say the local GOP is perishing, but given the above, it doesn’t seem too healthy.

From Seattle Times

One woman told us this Easter was bittersweet: "I don't feel good when I see Haiti is perishing. Especially when I see my brothers and sisters dying from bullets in Port-au-Prince."

From BBC

Children are perishing at an average rate of 10 every hour.

From Salon

The weekend was particularly deadly, with 14 children perishing Friday and 12 on Saturday.

From Washington Times

Related Words

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