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
-
(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
Explanation
If you scare someone so much they can't move, you petrify them. Petrify is to make something like a stone or to literally turn to stone. At the heart of the word petrify is the Latin word petra which means "stone." In the scientific sense, wood petrifies in an environment without oxygen, say when it is buried by lava, and minerals such as silica enter the wood and fill the cells, making it hard as stone. More commonly, something petrifies a person or an animal when it scares them very much. During thunderstorms, the dog is so petrified that it hides under the bed. If you are in a store when it is being robbed, you might be petrified too.
Vocabulary lists containing petrify
Tyrannosaurus Lex(icon)
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The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
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Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
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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.
But the department’s letter was sent days ago without public comment, and its reported warning that the lottery may be illegal isn’t likely to petrify scofflaws such as Musk and Trump.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 24, 2024
Imperfect though “Romulus” may be, it’s also a solid entry in a slate of films whose original maker has taken the extended story seriously enough to petrify it.
From Salon • Aug. 16, 2024
“But you’ve just got to stay ready whenever your opportunities come. They just come and go, so you’ve just got to stay ready for it you. Can’t really petrify yourself for the time being.”
From Seattle Times • Dec. 21, 2023
This should petrify his colleagues — and the rest of the country, too.
From Washington Post • Apr. 23, 2023
“When a storm was on I thought the whole roof was going to lift off, like in The Wizard of Oz. Used to petrify me.”
From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell
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.
