petrify

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verb pet·ri·fy \ ˈpe-trə-ˌfī \

Definition of petrify

petrified; petrifying

transitive verb

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.

b :to confound with fear, amazement, or awe

a novel about an airline pilot that will petrify you
—Martin Levin

intransitive verb

:to become stone or of stony hardness or rigidity

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Examples of petrify in a Sentence

the processes that petrify wood
The dead tree petrified into stone.

Recent Examples of petrify from the Web

Dean is petrified of heights, so naturally ABC stuck him on a blimp with Rachel for the day.

— aurelie corinthios, PEOPLE.com, "Rachel Lindsay Cracks Under 'Pressures' of Being First Black Bachelorette as Accusations of Racial Targeting Fly," 20 June 2017
Like many of her classmates, loud, unexpected sounds petrified her.

— the washington post, The Mercury News, "The shooting lasted 12 seconds, but these first-graders’ torment may last years," 9 June 2017
This swing will petrify Republicans in Congress who, up to now, have largely stayed in line behind Trump.

— e.j. dionne jr., The Denver Post, "Is Trump throwing Bannon under the bus this time?," 12 Apr. 2017
In Austin, Tex., undocumented women working in a laundromat cowered in the back of the room, petrified after seeing a video and a photograph of apprehensions outside a local grocery store and burger joint.

— nicholas kulish, caitlin dickerson and liz robbins, New York Times, "Reports of Raids Have Immigrants Bracing for Enforcement Surge," 10 Feb. 2017
Is that what’s happening when Essun notices tooth marks on Alabaster’s crumbly petrifying flesh?

— wired staff, WIRED, "WIRED Book Club: This Is The Way Fifth Season Ends," 25 May 2016

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'petrify.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.