How to Pronounce "perish the thought"
expression
ˈpɛɹɪʃ/ /ˈðə/, /ðə/, /ði/ /ˈθɔt
PAIR-ish thuh THAWT
pˈɛɹɪʃ/ /ðə, ði/ /θˈɔːt
PEH-rish thuh THAWT
Definition
This expression is used to strongly reject or refuse even the idea of something bad happening. It means you hope something will never happen.
IPA Transcription
American English
ˈpɛɹɪʃ/ /ˈðə/, /ðə/, /ði/ /ˈθɔt
British English
pˈɛɹɪʃ/ /ðə, ði/ /θˈɔːt
Simplified Pronunciation
US
PAIR-ish thuh THAWT
UK
PEH-rish thuh THAWT
Listen in Context
What if it rains on the wedding day? Perish the thought!
He could fail the exam—perish the thought!
Would you ever quit your job? Perish the thought.
Losing my keys again? Perish the thought! I can't afford that chaos twice.