adj · noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:P EH1 R IH0 SH AH0 B AH0 L
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Liable to perish, especially naturally subject to quick decomposition or decay.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
perishable goods
perishable foodstuffs
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: ephemeral, shortlived
Antonyms: imperishable, unperishable
2
noun
Meaning 2
That which perishes or is short-lived.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
Food that does not keep for long.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: in-plural
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
adjective
Meaning 4
liable to perish; subject to destruction or death or decay
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
this minute and perishable planet
perishable foods such as butter and fruit
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: imperishable
5
noun
Meaning 5
food that will decay rapidly if not refrigerated
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: spoilable
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: foodstuff, food product
History
Etymology
From Middle English *persishable, perysabyl, equivalent to perish + -able. Compare Old French perissable (and modern French périssable).
Across languages
Translations
42 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
нетраен
(netraen)
— liable to perish
Catalan:
perible
— liable to perish
Dutch:
beperkt houdbaar
— liable to perish
Dutch:
bederfelijk
— liable to perish
Finnish:
pilaantuva
— liable to perish
French:
périssable
— liable to perish
German:
verderblich
— liable to perish
German:
leichtverderblich
— liable to perish
German:
vergänglich
— liable to perish
German:
kurzlebig
— liable to perish
German:
begrenzt haltbar
— liable to perish
Gothic:
𐍂𐌹𐌿𐍂𐌴𐌹𐍃
(riureis)
— liable to perish
Hindi:
विनाशी
(vināśī)
— liable to perish
Hindi:
नश्वर
(naśvar)
— liable to perish
Hungarian:
romlandó
— liable to perish
Italian:
deperibile
— liable to perish
Macedonian:
нетраен
(netraen)
— liable to perish
Macedonian:
расиплив
(rasipliv)
— liable to perish
Manx:
çherraghtagh
— liable to perish
Marathi:
नाशिवंत
(nāśivanta)
— liable to perish
Norwegian:
lettbedervelig
— liable to perish
Polish:
nietrwały
— liable to perish
Portuguese:
perecível
— liable to perish
Russian:
бре́нный
(brénnyj)
— liable to perish
Russian:
тле́нный
(tlénnyj)
— liable to perish
Russian:
сме́ртный
(smértnyj)
— liable to perish
Russian:
преходя́щий
(prexodjáščij)
— liable to perish
Spanish:
perecedero
— liable to perish
Spanish:
caduco
— liable to perish
Spanish:
efímero
— liable to perish
Spanish:
perecible
— liable to perish
Spanish:
fallidero
— liable to perish
Welsh:
darfodus
— liable to perish
German:
Vergängliches
— that which perishes
Dutch:
bederfelijke eetwaren
— food that does not keep
Dutch:
bederfelijke levensmiddelen
— food that does not keep
Finnish:
tuoretuote
— food that does not keep
French:
denrées périssables
— food that does not keep
German:
Verderbliches
— food that does not keep
German:
Leichtverderbliches
— food that does not keep
Macedonian:
расиплива храна
(rasipliva hrana)
— food that does not keep
Russian:
скоропортящиеся продукты
(skoropórtjaščijesja prodúkty)
— food that does not keep
