Petrify

Pronunciation: /ˈpɛtrəˌfaɪ/

Definitions of petrify

verb to make someone so frightened that they are unable to move or think

Example Sentences

A1 The loud noise petrified the small dog.

A2 She was petrified of spiders and couldn't even look at a picture of one.

B1 The unexpected news petrified her with fear.

B2 The horror movie petrified the audience with its terrifying scenes.

C1 The thought of public speaking used to petrify her, but now she's more confident.

C2 The intense pressure of the situation petrified him into a state of paralysis.

Examples of petrify in a Sentence

formal The sight of the snake petrified the hikers, causing them to freeze in fear.

informal I was petrified when I heard a loud bang in the middle of the night.

slang The horror movie was so scary, it petrified me!

figurative The thought of public speaking used to petrify me, but now I've overcome my fear.

Grammatical Forms of petrify

• past tense: petrified
• plural: petrifies
• comparative: more petrified
• superlative: most petrified
• present tense: petrifies
• future tense: will petrify
• perfect tense: has petrified
• continuous tense: is petrifying
• singular: petrify
• positive degree: petrified
• infinitive: to petrify
• gerund: petrifying
• participle: petrifying

Origin and Evolution of petrify

First Known Use: 0015 year

Language of Origin: Latin

Story behind the word: The word 'petrify' comes from the Latin word 'petra', meaning rock or stone.

Evolution of the word: Originally used in the 15th century to mean to convert into stone, the word 'petrify' has evolved to also mean to paralyze with fear or shock.