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Definition of petrify verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

petrify

verb
 
/ˈpetrɪfaɪ/
 
/ˈpetrɪfaɪ/
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they petrify
 
/ˈpetrɪfaɪ/
 
/ˈpetrɪfaɪ/
he / she / it petrifies
 
/ˈpetrɪfaɪz/
 
/ˈpetrɪfaɪz/
past simple petrified
 
/ˈpetrɪfaɪd/
 
/ˈpetrɪfaɪd/
past participle petrified
 
/ˈpetrɪfaɪd/
 
/ˈpetrɪfaɪd/
-ing form petrifying
 
/ˈpetrɪfaɪɪŋ/
 
/ˈpetrɪfaɪɪŋ/
jump to other results
  1. [transitive] petrify somebody to make somebody feel extremely frightened synonym terrify
    • Just the thought of making a speech petrifies me.
    • His icy stare petrified her.
    Topics Feelingsc2
  2. [intransitive, transitive] petrify (something) to change or to make something change into a substance like stone
  3. Word Originlate Middle English: from French pétrifier, from medieval Latin petrificare, from Latin petra ‘rock’, from Greek.
See petrify in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary
previously
adverb
 
 
From the Word list
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