petrify
Americanverb (used with object)
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to convert into stone or a stony substance.
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to benumb or paralyze with astonishment, horror, or other strong emotion.
I was petrified with fear.
- Synonyms:
- daze, dumbfound, immobilize
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to make rigid or inert; harden; deaden.
The tragedy in his life petrified his emotions.
verb (used without object)
verb
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(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
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to make or become dull, unresponsive, insensitive, etc; deaden
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(tr; often passive) to stun or daze with horror, fear, etc
Other Word Forms
- petrifiable adjective
- petrificant adjective
- petrifier noun
- unpetrifying adjective
Etymology
Origin of petrify
From the Middle French word petrifier, dating back to 1585–95. See petri-, -fy
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.
“This was the most petrifying part, not being able to be there to shield your kids and know if they were safe,” he said.
"I sit in my lane and I'm frozen, totally petrified. I can't overtake and because you don't overtake, people start to beep at you and that drives me into more of a frenzy," she says.
From BBC
Alphabet’s perceived “AI comeback” with its TPUs and improved Gemini AI models has led some investors to be “petrified that Alphabet will win the AI war,” Melius analyst Ben Reitzes said in a Monday note.
From MarketWatch
“Some investors are petrified that Alphabet will win the AI war due to huge improvements in its Gemini model and ongoing benefits from its custom TPU chip,” said Ben Reitzes, tech strategist at Melius Research.
From Barron's
It lowered its head until it was eye to eye with the petrified governess.
From Literature
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
