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petrify
[ pe-truh-fahy ]
verb (used with object)
- to convert into stone or a stony substance.
- to benumb or paralyze with astonishment, horror, or other strong emotion:
I was petrified with fear.
Synonyms: , ,
The tragedy in his life petrified his emotions.
verb (used without object)
- to become petrified.
petrify
/ ˈɛٰɪˌڲɪ /
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
- to make or become dull, unresponsive, insensitive, etc; deaden
- tr; often passive to stun or daze with horror, fear, etc
Derived Forms
- ˈٰˌھ, noun
Other 51Թ Forms
- ··ھ·· adjective
- ·ٰ··Գ [pi-, trif, -i-k, uh, nt], adjective
- ··ھ· noun
- ܲ···ڲ·Բ adjective
51Թ History and Origins
51Թ History and Origins
Origin of petrify1
Example Sentences
"I'm really scared for the future. The thought of my seven-year-old having a phone is absolutely petrifying."
A mental health assessment recorded Richards as being "petrified and unsafe", with a prison induction officer warning he was like a "rabbit in headlights" when learning there was no dedicated unit for vulnerable prisoners.
“He will tell you had this been a stranger, someone he didn’t know as well, he would have been petrified.”
A couple whose baby suffered seizures and damage to his brain during labour have described their time in Edinburgh's maternity unit as "petrifying".
“Nosferatu” is more retelling than remake, like a myth that takes on new, sickly detail to petrify the curious as it’s passed down through the years.
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