petrify
verb
pet·ri·fy
ˈpe-trə-ˌfī 
petrified; petrifying
1
: to convert (organic matter) into stone or a substance of stony hardness by the infiltration of water and the deposition of dissolved mineral matter
2
: to make rigid or inert like stone:
a
: to make lifeless or inactive : deaden
slogans are apt to petrify a man's thinking—
Saturday Rev.
Saturday Rev.
b
: to confound with fear, amazement, or awe
a novel about an airline pilot that will petrify you—Martin Levin
Martin Levin
: to become stone or of stony hardness or rigidity
Synonyms
Examples of petrify in a Sentence
the processes that petrify wood
The dead tree petrified into stone.
Recent Examples on the Web
The body was supposedly petrified by sap, and the loggers found several gold coins dating to the late 1600s, as well as pieces of paper identifying the person as Pierre D’Artagnan.
—Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 7 Oct. 2024
The West and Israel should be mindful over the apparent change in tempo of Iran’s uranium enrichment and be petrified of losing the wider war of non proliferation in a region unable to step back from the brink.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, 28 Sep. 2024
The government - the governor is petrified in Colorado.
—CBS News, 22 Sep. 2024
When North Korea tested a ballistic missile in 2009, the public was petrified at first but quickly lost interest.
—Takashi Yokota, Foreign Affairs, 17 Oct. 2012
See all Example Sentences for petrify 
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Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 7 Oct. 2024
The West and Israel should be mindful over the apparent change in tempo of Iran’s uranium enrichment and be petrified of losing the wider war of non proliferation in a region unable to step back from the brink.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, 28 Sep. 2024
The government - the governor is petrified in Colorado.
—CBS News, 22 Sep. 2024
When North Korea tested a ballistic missile in 2009, the public was petrified at first but quickly lost interest.
—Takashi Yokota, Foreign Affairs, 17 Oct. 2012
See all Example Sentences for petrify
Dictionary Entries Near petrify
Cite this Entry
“Petrify.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/petrify. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
petrify
verb
pet·ri·fy
ˈpe-trə-ˌfī
petrified; petrifying
Medical Definition
petrify
verb
pet·ri·fy
ˈpe-trə-ˌfī
petrified; petrifying
: to convert (organic matter) into stone or a stony substance
: to become stone or like stone
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