Definition

1. Verb (Transitive):

   • To convert organic matter into stone or a stony substance: This is the literal, geological meaning of the word, describing a process where plant or animal material is replaced by minerals over a long period, turning it into a fossil.
   • To paralyze with fear, astonishment, or other strong emotion: This is the primary figurative meaning. It means to stun someone so completely that they become rigid and unable to move, think, or react, as if turned to stone.

2. Verb (Intransitive):

   • To become stone or stony: To undergo the process of petrification.
   • To become rigid, fixed, or unresponsive, like stone: To become immobilized, often due to shock or fear.

Usage Examples

• Verb (Transitive - Literal):

  • The minerals in the water slowly petrify the wood, creating beautiful fossilized patterns.
  • Scientists study the conditions that petrify ancient trees.

• Verb (Transitive - Figurative):

  • The sudden roar of the lion petrified the hikers, freezing them in their tracks.
  • She was petrified by the thought of speaking in front of the large audience.

• Verb (Intransitive):

  • Over millions of years, the buried logs petrified and became part of the canyon walls.
  • His smile petrified on his face when he heard the bad news.

Advanced Usage

• "to be petrified of (something)": To be extremely and paralyzingly afraid of something.
  • As a child, I was petrified of the dark.
• "petrified with (fear/terror/horror/amazement)": A common collocation emphasizing the cause of the immobility.
  • They stood, petrified with terror, as the shadow approached.

Variants and Related Words

• Petrification (n): The process of turning into stone; the state of being paralyzed with fear.
  • The petrification of the ancient forest created a unique landscape.
  • Her petrification was evident; she couldn't even scream.
• Petrified (adj): Describing something that has turned to stone, or a person who is extremely frightened.
  • We walked through a forest of petrified wood.
  • He gave a petrified look when the door creaked open.
• Petrifying (adj): Causing extreme fear.
  • The silence in the old house was petrifying.

Synonyms

• Literal (to turn to stone): Fossilize, mineralize.
• Figurative (to stun with fear): Terrify, horrify, paralyze, stupefy, transfix, freeze.

Antonyms

• Figurative: Calm, soothe, reassure, embolden.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• "Scared stiff": A near-synonymous idiom meaning extremely frightened. "Petrify" is a more intense, formal equivalent.
  • The ghost story left them scared stiff. (Compare: The ghost story petrified them.)

Verb

1. make rigid and set into a conventional pattern
   • rigidify the training schedule
   • ossified teaching methods
   • slogans petrify our thinking
2. change into stone
   • the wood petrified with time
3. cause to become stonelike or stiff or dazed and stunned
   • The horror petrified his feelings
   • Fear petrified her thinking