petrify
to convert into stone or a stony substance.
to benumb or paralyze with astonishment, horror, or other strong emotion: I was petrified with fear.
to become petrified.
Origin of petrify
1Other words for petrify
Other words from petrify
- pet·ri·fi·a·ble, adjective
- pe·trif·i·cant [pi-trif-i-kuhnt], /pɪˈtrɪf ɪ kənt/, adjective
- pet·ri·fi·er, noun
- un·pet·ri·fy·ing, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use petrify in a sentence
The sea-wizard yielded to the petrifier, and "could no more," as the poets say.
Love Me Little, Love Me Long | Charles ReadeCaste, "the great petrifier," we are again told, is the real cause of the stagnation that everywhere abounds.
Gold, Sport, And Coffee Planting In Mysore | Robert H. Elliot
British Dictionary definitions for petrify
/ (ˈpɛtrɪˌfaɪ) /
(tr; often passive) to convert (organic material, esp plant material) into a fossilized form by impregnation with dissolved minerals so that the original appearance is preserved
to make or become dull, unresponsive, insensitive, etc; deaden
(tr; often passive) to stun or daze with horror, fear, etc
Origin of petrify
1Derived forms of petrify
- petrifier, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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