English Explanatory Dictionary

petrify

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To turn to stone: to harden organic matter by permeating with water and depositing dissolved minerals.
  2. To produce rigidity akin to stone.
  3. To immobilize with fright.
  4. To become stone, or of a stony hardness, as organic matter by calcareous deposits.
  5. To become stony, callous, or obdurate.
  6. To make callous or obdurate; to stupefy; to paralyze; to transform; as by petrification.

Pronunciation

/ˈpɛ.tɹəˌfaɪ/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-petrify.wav LL-Q1860 (eng)-Naomi Persephone Amethyst (NaomiAmethyst)-petrify.wav

Word forms

petrify petrifies petrifying petrified

Etymology

From Middle French pétrifier, from Medieval Latin petrificāre, from Latin petra (“rock”), from Ancient Greek πέτρα (pétra, “rock”) + -ficāre, from facere (“do, make”), equivalent to petro- + -ify.

Synonyms

alarm affright appall dismay fray frighten grill give someone the shits harrow horrify make someone's blood run cold mortify petrify scare scare straight scare the bejeebers out of scare the hell out of scare the pants off of scare the shit out of terrorize terrify spook

Related words

petrifaction calcify mineralize ossify permineralize

Derived words

petrifiable petrifier unpetrify
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