perish
v.v. to die, especially in a sudden or violent way. It is a formal word often used when many people die at once in a disaster.
v. to die or be destroyed through violence, privation, or natural disaster. Often used in formal or literary contexts to describe large-scale loss of life.
Many animals perish in the cold winter months.
The historical records suggest that thousands of soldiers perished during the long march across the frozen mountains.
Without a sustainable source of clean water, the local ecosystem is likely to perish, leading to an irreversible loss of biodiversity in the region.
From Middle English perishen, borrowed from Old French perir (via the stem periss- used in various conjugations), from Latin perīre (“pass away, perish”), from per (“through”) + īre (“pass, go”).
Intransitive — does not take a direct object. Often followed by the preposition 'in' or 'from'.
The fire perished many peopleMany people perished in the firePerish is intransitive; it cannot take a direct object. The cause of death is usually introduced with a preposition.