Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

perish the thought

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.32 in modern English

Syllables: per-ish the thought
IPA

31

Scrabble Score

16

Letters

2

Syllables

10

Unique Chars

Meaning

phrase

May the thought perish; said of an idea or suggestion that is deeply undesirable.

Example Sentences

"What! was he to lose his hold over these boys, and that because he was unable to cope with a boy much smaller and younger than himself? Perish the thought!"
"According to industry gossips, Richard and Judy may soon go their separate ways. Not maritally; no, perish the thought."

Etymology

Equivalent to "[may] the thought perish", with the verb in the subjunctive mood followed by its subject.

Phrases

far be it

Frequently Paired Words

far be it

Questions

What does perish the thought mean?: May the thought perish; said of an idea or suggestion that is deeply undesirable.
Where does perish the thought come from?: Equivalent to "[may] the thought perish", with the verb in the subjunctive mood followed by its subject.

How to pronounce perish the thought

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “perish the thought”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “perish the thought”.
Repeat and practice — Say “perish the thought” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.