I.v. n., to go completely to ruin, to be lost or undone, to perish (rare; “mostly ante-class.): quin prius disperibit faxo, quam unam calcem civerit,” Plaut. Poen. 4, 2, 86: “fructus dispereunt,” Varr. R. R. 1, 11, 1; cf. Col. 12, 46, 2: fundus, * Cic. Agr. 2, 29, 80: “disperit cibus,” Lucr. 3, 704: “vestis multo sanguine,” id. 5, 1422; id. 4, 376; 5, 288 al.: “tui labores,” Cat. 14, 11.— “Prov.: male partum male disperit,” light come, light go, Plaut. Poen. 4, 2, 22 (for which dilabitur, Poëta ap. Cic. Phil. 2, 27). —
II. In colloq. lang.: “disperii!” I am undone! it's all over with me! Plaut. Bacch. 5, 1, 28; id. Aul. 2, 2, 65; id. Cas. 5, 3, 2; id. Most. 2, 1, 28 et saep.; Ter. Heaut. 2, 4, 24; id. Ad. 3, 3, 1; Afran. ap. Non. 110, 13; “for which once Dispereo!” Plaut. Stich. 5, 5, 12: Dispeream, si or nisi, may I perish, if or if not; a strong asseveration, Cat. 92, 2, 4; Prop. 2, 21, 9 (3, 14, 9 M.); Hor. S. 1, 9, 47; Suet. Tib. 59 al.