View synonyms for

petrified

[ pe-truh-fahyd ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

adjective

having been numbed or paralyzed with astonishment, horror, or other strong emotion:
The victim arrived at the shelter petrified and penniless, lacking the documents needed to apply for aid.
having been turned to stone or a stony substance:
Among the fossils found here are petrified skeletons of dinosaurs dating back 65 million years.
having been made rigid or inert; hardened:
The 20-year-old snack cake—still in its original packaging—is quite petrified; it makes a pleasant thunking sound when I knock it against the desk.

verb

the simple past tense and past participle of petrify ( def ).

Discover More

Other Word Forms

�󲹱��-��·��·�ھ�� adjective
��·��·��·��·�ھ�� adjective
�ܲ�·��·��·�ھ�� adjective

Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of petrified¹

petrify ( def ) + -ed ²( def )

Discover More

Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

"We are seeing a lot of people coming in who are struggling - we've had people get in touch who are absolutely petrified," Boylan said.

From

While the BBC cannot independently verify their stories, almost all say they are petrified that one day, they might bump into a captor on the street or on a bus.

From

A mental health assessment recorded Richards as being "petrified and unsafe", with a prison induction officer warning he was like a "rabbit in headlights" when learning there was no dedicated unit for vulnerable prisoners.

From

“He will tell you had this been a stranger, someone he didn’t know as well, he would have been petrified.”

From

Mr Bisset says the family are still “petrified” every time they visit the hospital.

From

petrifaction Petrified Forest

Browse