petrify

• POS: Verb (usu participle), Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: pet=ri=fy

CIDE DICTIONARY

petrify, v. t. [L. petra rock, Gr. (akin to a stone) + -fy: cf. F. pétrifier. Cf. Parrot, Petrel, Pier.].

•  To convert, as any animal or vegetable matter, into stone or stony substance.  [1913 Webster]

  "A river that petrifies any sort of wood or leaves."  [1913 Webster]
•  To make callous or obdurate; to stupefy; to paralyze; to transform; as by petrifaction; as, to petrify the heart. Young.  Sir W. Scott.  [1913 Webster]

  "And petrify a genius to a dunce."  [1913 Webster]

  "The poor, petrified journeyman, quite unconscious of what he was doing."  [1913 Webster]

  "A hideous fatalism, which ought, logically, to petrify your volition."  [1913 Webster]

petrify, v. i. 

•  To become stone, or of a stony hardness, as organic matter by calcareous deposits.  [1913 Webster]
•  Fig.: To become stony, callous, or obdurate.  [1913 Webster]

  "Like Niobe we marble grow,
  And petrify with grief."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

petrify, v. (-ies, -ied)
1 tr. paralyse with fear, astonishment, etc.
2 tr. change (organic matter) into a stony substance.
3 intr. become like stone.
4 tr. deprive (the mind, a doctrine, etc.) of vitality; deaden.

Etymology

F p{eacute}trifier f. med.L petrificare f. L petra rock f. Gk

THESAURUS

petrify

alarm, amaze, anneal, appall, astonish, astound, awe, awestrike, bedaze, bedazzle, bemuse, benumb, bewilder, boggle, bowl down, bowl over, calcify, callous, case harden, confound, cornify, crystallize, daze, dazzle, disconcert, dismay, dumbfound, dumbfounder, firm, flabbergast, fossilize, freeze, frighten, harden, horrify, indurate, lapidify, lithify, numb, ossify, overwhelm, paralyze, perplex, scare, scare stiff, scare to death, shock, stagger, startle, steel, strike dead, strike dumb, strike terror into, strike with wonder, stun, stupefy, surprise, temper, terrify, toughen, turn to stone, vitrify

ROGET THESAURUS

petrify

Excitation

VB excite, affect, touch, move, impress, strike, interest, animate, inspire, impassion, smite, infect, stir the blood, fire the blood, warm the blood, set astir, wake, awake, awaken, call forth, evoke, provoke, raise up, summon up, call up, wake up, blow up, get up, light up, raise, get up the steam, rouse, arouse, stir, fire, kindle, enkindle, apply the torch, set on fire, inflame, stimulate, exsuscitate, inspirit, spirit up, stir up, work up, pique, infuse life into, give new life to, bring new blood, introduce new blood, quicken, sharpen, whet, work upon, hurry on, give a fillip, put on one's mettle, fan the fire, fan the flame, blow the coals, stir the embers, fan into a flame, foster, heat, warm, foment, raise to a fever heat, keep up, keep the pot boiling, revive, rekindle, rake up, rip up, stir the feelings, play on the feelings, come home to the feelings, touch a string, touch a chord, touch the soul, touch the heart, go to one's heart, penetrate, pierce, go through one, touch to the quick, possess the soul, pervade the soul, penetrate the soul, imbrue the soul, absorb the soul, affect the soul, disturb the soul, absorb, rivet the attention, sink into the mind, sink into the heart, prey on the mind, distract, intoxicate, overwhelm, overpower, bouleverser, upset, turn one's head, fascinate, enrapture, agitate, perturb, ruffle, fluster, shake, disturb, startle, shock, stagger, give one a shock, give one a turn, strike all of a heap, stun, astound, electrify, galvanize, petrify, irritate, sting, cut to the heart, cut to the quick, try one's temper, fool to the top of one's bent, pique, infuriate, madden, make one's blood boil, lash into fury, be excited, flush up, flare up, catch the infection, thrill, mantle, work oneself up, seethe, boil, simmer, foam, fume, flame, rage, rave, run mad.

Fear

VB fear, stand in awe of, be afraid, have qualms, apprehend, sit upon thorns, eye askance, distrust, hesitate, falter, funk, cower, crouch, skulk, let 'I dare not' wait upon 'I would' take fright, take alarm, start, wince, flinch, shy, shrink, fly, tremble, shake, shiver, shiver in one's shoes, shudder, flutter, shake like an aspen leaf, tremble like an aspen leaf, tremble all over, quake, quaver, quiver, quail, grow pale, turn pale, blench, stand aghast, not dare to say one's soul is one's own, inspire fear, excite fear, inspire awe, excite awe, raise apprehensions, be in a daze, bulldoze, faze, feeze, give an alarm, raise an alarm, sound an alarm, alarm, startle, scare, cry 'wolf', disquiet, dismay, fright, frighten, terrify, astound, fright from one's propriety, fright out of one's senses, fright out of one's wits, fright out of one's seven senses, awe, strike all of a heap, strike an awe into, strike terror, harrow up the soul, appall, unman, petrify, horrify, pile on the agony, make one's flesh creep, make one's hair stand on end, make one's blood run cold, make one's teeth chatter, take away one's breath, stop one's breath, make one tremble, haunt, prey on the mind, weigh on the mind, put in fear, put in bodily fear, terrorize, intimidate, cow, daunt, overawe, abash, deter, discourage, browbeat, bully, threaten.

Wonder

VB wonder, marvel, admire, be surprised, start, stare, open one's eyes, rub one's eyes, turn up one's eyes, gloar, gape, open one's mouth, hold one's breath, look aghast, stand aghast, stand agog, look blank, tombe des nues, not believe one's eyes, not believe one's ears, not believe one's senses, not be able to account for, not know whether one stands on one's head or one's, surprise, astonish, amaze, astound, dumfound, dumfounder, startle, dazzle, daze, strike, strike with wonder, strike with awe, electrify, stun, stupefy, petrify, confound, bewilder, flabbergast, stagger, throw on one's beam ends, fascinate, turn the head, take away one's breath, strike dumb, make one's hair stand on end, make one's tongue cleave to the roof of one's mout, make one stare, take by surprise, be wonderful, beggar description, beggar the imagination, baffle description, stagger belief.

Density

VB be dense, become solid, render solid, solidify, solidate, concrete, set, take a set, consolidate, congeal, coagulate, curd, curdle, lopper, fix, clot, cake, candy, precipitate, deposit, cohere, crystallize, petrify, condense, thicken, gel, inspissate, incrassate, compress, squeeze, ram down, constipate.

Hardness

VB render hard, harden, stiffen, indurate, petrify, temper, ossify, vitrify, accrust.

Refrigeration

VB cool, fan, refrigerate, refresh, ice, congeal, freeze, glaciate, benumb, starve, pinch, chill, petrify, chill to the marrow, regelate, nip, cut, pierce, bite, make one's teeth chatter, damp, slack quench, put out, stamp out, extinguish, go out, burn out (incombustibility).