perish
per-ish / pĕr-ĭsh
verb 1. to die or be destroyed, often in an untimely or violent way We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools. Martin Luther King, Jr., 1929 - 1968 2. to disappear gradually; to cease to exist Religion will perish because of excessive comforts. Sicilian Proverb 3. (primarily British) to spoil; to rot; to decay Fruit and vegetables are perishing in fields and growers fear the drought and further extreme temperatures could wipe out harvests. Nada Farhoud, “UK heatwave caused fruit and vegetables to perish in fields as farmers fear for harvests”, ‘Mirror’, www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/uk-heatwave-caused-fruit-vegetables-27640665, August 2, 2022 4. to destroy or ruin Many foul blights Perish'd his hard won gains. From “The Mary (a Sea-side Sketch)" by Thomas Hood, 1799 - 1845