Perishing Meaning in English

word · lemma: perish

US

UK

Definition

'Perishing' can mean dying, fading away, or being destroyed, especially from harsh conditions. In informal British and Irish English, it also means feeling extremely cold.

Usage & Nuances

Formal when describing dying or destruction; informal and chiefly British/Irish when meaning 'very cold' ('It's perishing outside!'). Not common in American English for the cold meaning. Can be used as an adjective ('a perishing wind') or present participle.

• Spanish: muriendo - congelándose (coloquial)
• Portuguese (BR): morrendo - congelando de frio (informal)
• Portuguese (PT): morrendo - a morrer - a morrer de frio (coloquial)
• Chinese (Simplified): 正在消亡 - 冻坏（口语）
• Chinese (Traditional): 正在消亡 - 凍壞（口語）
• Hindi: मर रहा है - बहुत ठंडा (अनौपचारिक)
• Arabic: يموت - يتجمّد من البرد (عامية)
• Bengali: মারা যাচ্ছে - ধ্বংস হচ্ছে - প্রচণ্ড ঠান্ডা (অনানুষ্ঠানিক, ব্রিটিশ ইংরেজি)
• Russian: гибнет - погибает - очень холодно (разг., британское/ирландское значение)
• Japanese: 死にかけている - 枯れかけている - とても寒い（イギリス英語特有の意味）
• Vietnamese: đang chết dần - đang tàn lụi - lạnh cóng (không trang trọng, chủ yếu ở Anh/Ireland)
• Korean: 죽어가고 있는 - 사라지고 있는 - 몹시 추운 (영국/아일랜드 비격식)
• Turkish: can çekişmek - yok olmak - dondurucu soğuk (gayriresmî, Britanya/İrlanda)
• Urdu: مر رہا ہے - فنا ہو رہا ہے - بہت سرد (غیر رسمی، برطانوی/آئرش انگریزی)
• Indonesian: sedang sekarat - sedang musnah - sangat dingin (tak resmi, terutama Inggris/Irlandia)

Example Sentences

It's perishing outside—don't forget your coat!

natural

The crops are perishing because of the drought.

basic

Many animals are perishing in the cold winter.

basic

Without food, he was perishing.

basic

My hands are perishing after being out in the snow.

natural

You must be perishing in that thin shirt.

natural