petrify
/ˈpɛtrɪfaɪ/ IELTSAcademic
verb
- 1.
To make someone very frightened or shocked. It can also mean to make someone unable to move because of fear.
- The loud bang petrified the child.
- I was petrified before the exam.
- The news petrified everyone in the room.
- 2.
To turn something into stone over a very long time, usually by a natural process.
- This wood has petrified over millions of years.
- The bones were petrified in the ground.
- Minerals can petrify the wood slowly.
Adinary Nuance
Petrify is stronger than scare or frighten. It suggests such strong fear or shock that a person feels frozen or helpless. Writers often choose it for dramatic fear, not for mild worry. It can also mean 'turn to stone,' so context matters.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- làm kinh hãi
- Spanish
- petrificar
- Chinese
- 吓呆
- Japanese
- 石化させる
- Korean
- 얼어붙게 하다
Etymology
Petrify comes from Latin petrificare, from petra meaning 'stone'. It entered English in the 16th century.
Common phrases
petrified with fearpetrify someone with fearpetrified lookpetrify into stone
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is petrify stronger than frighten?
- Yes. Petrify means frighten someone so much that they feel frozen or helpless.
- Can petrify mean 'turn to stone'?
- Yes. It can also describe a natural process that turns wood or bone into stone.
- Is petrify formal or informal?
- It is neutral and common in both speech and writing, especially for strong fear.