petrified

[ pe-truh-fahyd ]

adjective

1. 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.

2. having been turned to stone or a stony substance:

   Among the fossils found here are petrified skeletons of dinosaurs dating back 65 million years.

3. 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

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

Other Words From

• half-pet·ri·fied adjective
• sem·i·pet·ri·fied adjective
• un·pet·ri·fied adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of petrified¹

petrify ( def ) + -ed ²( def )

Example Sentences

Since most people would likely be petrified if they discovered their partner was a werewolf, this was certainly a big milestone in their relationship and one of the most romantic gestures on Teen Wolf.

From TechCrunch

A sample of more than 5,000 petrified bits of flora from before, during, and after the PETM shows an uptick in the amount and diversity of insect damage.

From Popular-Science

In the park, you drive through the wildlife haven of Lamar Valley—wolf country—and you can hike Specimen Ridge Trail through a petrified forest to a glorious view of Mount Washburn and miles of meadows.

From Outside Online

Greg Francek thought he was looking at a piece of petrified wood.

From Washington Post

Her mother described her as “petrified” and said, “I vividly remember that, being in the bathroom.”

From Washington Post

I was petrified, and it left me wondering, “Do I give him this direction?”

From The Daily Beast

A petrified grimace wrinkles the white clay adorning her face.

From The Daily Beast

It petrified me as a young gay kid in Montana, growing up playing tennis.

From The Daily Beast

I was exhausted and the others were petrified… We all swore that it was OK.

From The Daily Beast

I opened my eyes to see the room full of soldiers, my sisters petrified.

From The Daily Beast

Her expression was still petrified, except that she might have had the scent of blood in her slightly dilating nostrils.

From Project Gutenberg

But Mafuta, instead of taking this advice, suddenly stood stock still, as if he had been petrified!

From Project Gutenberg

Sarah moved among them with a distracted air; she seemed, indeed, as if petrified with grief.

From Project Gutenberg

I suppose the face will retain that petrified laugh until the corpse turns to dust.

From Project Gutenberg

Griffith stood petrified a moment; and I don't think his intellects were even yet quite clear enough to take it all in at once.

From Project Gutenberg