Perish the thought meaning in English

Learn how to use Perish the thought correctly with Gymglish.
Test and improve your English. Start your free trial today.

TEST YOUR ENGLISH Free trial and no commitment to buy

4,7 on App Store, Play Store and Trustpilot More than 8 million learners worldwide

Definition

Perish the thought!: Absolutely not! You should not say that! idiom

to perish: to die, to expire; to decay verb

Examples

"Trey : Oh, no, no, no Miss DeLune, perish the thought."

Exercise 1

Luna offers to drive Trey to the hospital, and Trey responds by saying "Perish the thought".
What does this expression mean?

Don't even think about it.

The idiom "perish the thought" is a polite way of expressing that someone shouldn't think about something or shouldn't consider it. When Trey says this to Luna, he is saying that she shouldn't even consider the idea of taking him to the hospital. Trey is confidently saying that he wants to continue the interview, and the idea of going to the hospital is unnecessary.

I can take care of myself.

Trey's expression "perish the thought" doesn't mean, that he can "take care of himself" but that Luna shouldn't consider taking Trey to the hospital.

Let's not exaggerate.

Trey's statement doesn't express that he thinks Luna is exaggerating, but rather that Luna shouldn't consider taking Trey to the hospital.

Let's change the subject.

Trey's statement doesn't express that he wants to change the subject, but rather that Luna shouldn't consider taking Trey to the hospital.

Still unsure of the best way to use 'Perish the thought'? Improve your English thanks to our online English lessons. We offer a free test as well as a free level assessment!

What our users say:

Pleasure

Victor (Cologne, Germany)

I enjoy doing my online English lessons. Only ten minutes daily are enough...Thank you!

Innovative

Marie (Amsterdam, The Netherlands)

I love your innovative method which allows me to learn a new language and have fun at the same time!

Unique

Georges (San Francisco, USA)

Your method is unique! Your courses have helped me to progress and gain confidence during my travels.

Progress

Maya (Paris, France)

Gymglish has allowed me to improve my English. A daily routine I wouldn't miss for anything in the world!

More testimonials.

Test your English with Gymglish today and get a free level assessment

Absolutely free - no strings attached.

TEST YOUR ENGLISH