petrify
verb (used with object)
to convert into stone or a stony substance.
have petrified
-
present perfectof petrify.present perfect
Used to describe actions that started in the past and continue into or have direct relevance to the present.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Her career path was defined by a thought that would have petrified many new moms.
From Scientific American ● Jun. 25, 2019
The first 11 games of the postseason may have petrified Tanaka and Carrasco.
From Washington Post ● Oct. 8, 2017
Sometimes they have petrified into iron pyrites or copper compounds, shining like gold, and then they make very noble thunderbolts indeed, heavy as lead, and capable of doing profound mischief if properly directed.
From Falling in Love With Other Essays on More Exact Branches of Science by Grant Allen
So there they sat, waiting the fatal moment, with an anxiety that would have petrified them at last, but for an unexpected incident.
From Travels in the Steppes of the Caspian Sea, the Crimea, the Caucasus, &c. by Xavier Hommaire de Hell
This sentence seemed to have petrified the unfortunate parent, who stood motionless, and seemingly bereft of sense.
From The Adventures of Sir Launcelot Greaves by T. (Tobias) Smollett
