Skip to main content

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

petrify rhyme
🎵 Rhyme

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

🎤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.

🎵Rhyme

terrifyhorrifyclarifyglorify
terrify
horrify
clarify
glorify

🔗Collocations

petrify with fear
absolutely petrified
petrified wood
petrified forest
petrify someone
petrified of spiders

📝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.

📚Related Words

Synonyms

terrifyhorrifyparalyzefrightenfossilize

Antonyms

reassurecomfortcalm

Related

fossilizationstoneterrorparalysisprehistoric

Want to master 19,000+ words?

Sign up free for flashcards & quizzes.