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petrifyto make someone extremely frightened and unable to move or think

Part of speech: VERB

Definition: to make someone extremely frightened and unable to move or think

Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈpetrɪfaɪ/

Korean meaning: 극도로 무서워하게 하다, 겁에 질리게 하다

Korean pronunciation: **페**트리파이

Example Sentences

  • The teacher's angry glare petrified the students who forgot their homework.
  • She was petrified of giving a speech in front of 500 people.
  • My grandmother is petrified of technology - she thinks her smartphone will explode.

petrify

VERB

//ˈpetrɪfaɪ//

to make someone extremely frightened and unable to move or think

petrify concept
💡 Concept

The massive bear shadow petrifies the hiker on the dark forest path

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petrify rhyme
🎵 Rhyme

The more we clarify, the more we terrify and petrify.

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🎤Pronunciation

🇺🇸 US/ˈpetrɪfaɪ/
🇬🇧 UK/ˈpetrɪfaɪ/

🌳Etymology

Rootpetri
Suffix-fy

Origin

From French pétrifier, derived from Latin petra meaning 'stone' combined with the suffix -fy (meaning 'to make'). The word originally referred to turning into stone, and metaphorically came to mean rendering someone motionless with fear.

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🎵Rhyme

terrifyhorrifyclarifyglorify
terrify
horrify
clarify
glorify

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📝Examples

😄 Fun example

The teacher's angry glare petrified the students who forgot their homework.

She was petrified of giving a speech in front of 500 people.

😄 Fun example

My grandmother is petrified of technology - she thinks her smartphone will explode.

The dinosaur bones were petrified over millions of years.

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Etymology, AI images, rhymes, collocations & examples — all in one!

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📚Related Words

Synonyms

terrifyhorrifyparalyzefrightenfossilize

Antonyms

reassurecomfortcalm

Related

fossilizationstoneterrorparalysisprehistoric