petrified

American  

[pe-truh-fahyd] / ˈpɛ trəˌfaɪd /

adjective

1. having been numbed or paralyzed with astonishment, horror, or other strong emotion.

   The victim arrived at the shelter petrified and penniless, lacking the documents needed to apply for aid.

2. having been turned to stone or a stony substance.

   Among the fossils found here are petrified skeletons of dinosaurs dating back 65 million years.

3. having been made rigid or inert; hardened.

   The 20-year-old snack cake—still in its original packaging—is quite petrified; it makes a pleasant thunking sound when I knock it against the desk.

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verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of petrify.

Other Word Forms

• half-petrified adjective
• semipetrified adjective
• unpetrified adjective

Etymology

Origin of petrified

petrify ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

“You had that same petrified look just now.”

From Literature

"I felt petrified because other people were petrified for me," she says.

From BBC

There were rocks on desks among the petrified yellow jackets, and glass on the floor right where you wanted to step.

From Literature

She added that K called Wixon "the witch" and was "petrified" of her.

From BBC

"We ran downstairs to the basement... from the 10th floor... we were petrified," he told AFP.

From Barron's