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There are five meanings listed in OED's entry for the verb petrify. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.
The meaning of PETRIFY is to convert (organic matter) into stone or a substance of stony hardness by the infiltration of water and the deposition of dissolved mineral matter. How to use petrify in a sentence.
PETRIFY definition: 1. to frighten someone a lot, especially so that they are unable to move or speak: 2. If dead…. Learn more.
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: daze, dumbfound, immobilize. to make rigid or inert; harden; deaden: The tragedy in his life petrified his emotions.
petrify. If you scare someone so much they can't move, you petrify them. Petrify is to make something like a stone or to literally turn to stone. At the heart of the word petrify is the Latin word petra which means "stone."
Jun 2, 2024 · petrify (third-person singular simple present petrifies, present participle petrifying, simple past and past participle petrified) (transitive) To turn to stone: to harden organic matter by permeating with water and depositing dissolved minerals. To produce rigidity akin to stone. To immobilize with fright. Synonyms: see Thesaurus: frighten.
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pet•ri•fy. (ˈpɛ trəˌfaɪ) v. -fied, -fy•ing. v.t. 1. to convert into stone or a stony substance. 2. to benumb with strong emotion, as fear. 3. to harden; deaden: The tragedy petrified his emotions. v.i. 4. to become petrified. [1585–95; < Middle French petrifier.
