French Conversation · Level 33
90 words
French word
périr
Pronunciation
IPA/peʁiʁ/
Meaning
- verbdie
Example
Il a péri dans l'accident.
He died in the accident.
More examples
De nombreux poissons ont péri à cause de la pollution.
Many fish perished because of pollution.
Core concept
A living presence disappears in a destructive event, with its life or collective activity abruptly ended.
Similar words
mourir: To come to the end of one's life.
décéder: To die, expressed formally in medical or official settings.
Definition in French
périr signifie cesser de vivre, perdre la vie, et s'emploie souvent dans un registre soutenu ou pour des morts violentes ou collectives.
Word origin
The verb périr is inherited through Old French from Latin perire, whose parts per- and ire express going completely away.
Usage tips
- Périr is intransitive, so the person or group that dies is the subject rather than a direct object, as in Il a péri dans l'accident.