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
Words Nearby petrify
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use petrify in a sentence
They are naturally petrifying 50,000 to 100,000 tons of CO2 per year, Kelemen believes.
A bold plan to save the planet turns carbon dioxide into stone | Douglas Fox | April 14, 2022 | Science News For StudentsThe Cincinnati Bengals should petrify the top-seeded Tennessee Titans.
What to know from the NFL playoffs: Mike McCarthy is in trouble and Josh Allen is a bad man | Adam Kilgore | January 18, 2022 | Washington PostThe fact that Feynman came forward to confront me after the talk was something that probably would have petrified many scientists.
What Impossible Meant to Richard Feynman - Issue 108: Change | Paul J. Steinhardt | November 24, 2021 | NautilusI didn't possess the capacity to petrify, which is absolutely indispensable in an academic man.
Atlantis | Gerhart HauptmannShe had seemed to grow rooted to the ground, unable to get away; her heart, her breathing, seemed to petrify too; they hurt her.
Missy | Dana Gatlin
E that would shine, and petrify his tutor,Should drink draught Allsopp in its "native pewter."
Quips and Quiddities | William Davenport AdamsTheir concepts petrify from lack of use and the constant reconstruction which growth necessitates.
The Mind and Its Education | George Herbert BettsAmong ourselves worship would petrify and faith wither were it not for the tasks the church has undertaken at home and abroad.
Judges and Ruth | Robert A. Watson
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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