PETRIFYING Synonyms: 80 Similar and Opposite Words

petrifying

verb

Definition of petrifying

present participle of petrify

as in undermining

to deprive of emotional or intellectual vitality groupthink and peer pressure have so petrified the thinking of the company's top brass that they haven't produced an innovative product in years

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for petrifying

Verb

For undermining traditional religious authority, he was eventually sentenced to death.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 2026
Partying, drinking, Greek life, sports, and other forms of college life always risked undermining the educational project—and vice versa.

— Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of undermining

Verb

Commanders should seek positional advantages without exhausting their soldiers, manipulate the enemy’s movements when possible, and recognize when circumstances make pursuit or attack unwise.

— Ethan Teekah, Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 Sep. 2026
The dispute has become even more complicated because some members of the 2022 class pursued professional opportunities after exhausting their eligibility under the previous system.

— Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of exhausting

Verb

Every night before dinner, my father would perform this ritual—rinsing and draining, then setting the pot in the cooker.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2026
In fact, many expensive features can turn into money pits, draining your budget without adding any resale appeal.

— Angelika Pokovba, Martha Stewart, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of draining

Verb

That slows price increases by generally weakening economic growth.

— Matt Peterson, CNBC, 15 Sep. 2026
The immediate priorities are to understand which existing revenue is most secure, where client demand may be weakening and which relationships could lead to additional or recurring work.

— Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of weakening

Verb

Rolison was a good sport and committed to the bit, despite wearing it for 12 hours in the hot weather.

— Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2026
In the first photo, the SKIMS founder is seen wearing a pink tube top paired with a choker necklace and a frosty lip shade, all signature trends of the early aughts.

— Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of wearing

Verb

Each presents a group portrait of a handful of disaffected British suburbanites—husbands who resent their deadening jobs, toddlers who whine and interrupt, and, above all, hassled wives subsumed by a crush of household obligations.

— Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026
Sam Lambert laid down a safety squeeze, deadening the ball in front of the plate and scoring Balls to trim the lead to 3-1.

— Dave Montrose, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 May 2026

Definition of deadening

Verb

In the Rocky Mountains, years of extreme heat and drought have baked the landscape, drying up streams that feed the Colorado River and desiccating pastures where cattle graze.

— Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026
Suddenly, pest populations are large enough to make a meaningful impact, and one too many afternoons of 100+ degree weather have begun desiccating leaves.

— Anthony Reardon, Kansas City Star, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of desiccating

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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petrify

petrifying

pets

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“Petrifying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/petrifying. Accessed 20 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of petrifying

verb

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