petrifying
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Adjective: 1. Causing extreme fear or terror; so frightening as to cause someone to become motionless or unable to react. - This describes something that is terrifying to the point of inducing a state of shock or paralysis.
Usage
The adjective "petrifying" is used to describe a situation, experience, sound, sight, or thought that is profoundly frightening. It emphasizes the effect of being "petrified"—turned to stone—by fear.
Examples
- The sudden, petrifying scream echoed through the empty house.
- She had a petrifying nightmare that left her unable to go back to sleep.
- For someone with a fear of heights, looking down from the cliff edge was a petrifying experience.
- The thought of giving a speech to hundreds of people was absolutely petrifying to him.
Advanced Usage
- "petrifying fear": A fear so intense it causes paralysis.
- He was rooted to the spot by a wave of petrifying fear.
- Used figuratively to describe something overwhelmingly daunting, not just scary.
- The prospect of failing the final exam was petrifying.
Variants and Related Words
- Petrify (verb): To terrify someone so much they are unable to move or think. ()
- Petrified (adjective): Extremely frightened, paralyzed with fear. ()
- Petrification (noun): The process of becoming petrified, either literally (turning to stone) or figuratively (with fear).
Synonyms
- Terrifying: Causing extreme fear.
- Horrifying: Causing horror; shocking and dreadful.
- Frightening: Making someone afraid or anxious.
- Paralyzing: Causing a temporary inability to move or act (often from fear or shock).
Antonyms
- Reassuring: Serving to relieve anxiety.
- Comforting: Providing consolation or a feeling of ease.
- Soothing: Having a gently calming effect.
Related Idioms and Phrases
- Scared stiff: An idiom meaning extremely frightened, similar to being petrified.
- The ghost story left the children scared stiff.
- Frozen with fear: A phrase describing the inability to move due to terror, capturing the essence of "petrifying."
- He was frozen with fear when he saw the snake.
Adjective
- paralyzing with terror