petrify

v., -fied, -fy·ing, -fies.

v.tr.

1. To convert (wood or other organic matter) into a stony replica by petrifaction.
2. To cause to become stiff or stonelike; deaden.
3. To stun or paralyze with terror; daze.

v.intr.
To become stony, especially by petrifaction.

[Middle English petrifien, to harden, from Old French petrifier : Latin petra, rock (from Greek petrā) + Old French -fier, -fy.]

verb

1. To make or become physically hard: cake, concrete, congeal, dry, harden, indurate, set¹, solidify. See solid/liquid/consistency.
2. To render helpless, as by emotion: benumb, numb, paralyze, stun, stupefy, wither. See affect/ineffectiveness.

v

Definition: frighten
Antonyms: calm, comfort, please, soothe

v

Definition: make hard
Antonyms: melt, soften

---

Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words.

The verb has 3 meanings:

Meaning #1: cause to become stone-like or stiff or dazed and stunned

Meaning #2: change into stone
  Synonym: lapidify

Meaning #3: make rigid and set into a conventional pattern
  Synonyms: rigidify, ossify

---

Dansk (Danish)
v. tr. - gøre stiv af skræk
v. intr. - forstene

Nederlands (Dutch)
doodsbang maken, verstenen, saai/ levenloos doen worden

Français (French)
v. tr. - pétrifier
v. intr. - se pétrifier, se fossiliser

Deutsch (German)
v. - versteinern

Ελληνική (Greek)
v. - απολιθώνω/-ομαι, πετρώνω

Italiano (Italian)
pietrificarsi, impietrire

Português (Portuguese)
v. - petrificar, petrificar-se, empedernir-se, paralisar-se

Русский (Russian)
приводить в оцепенение

Español (Spanish)
v. tr. - petrificar, paralizar
v. intr. - petrificarse, paralizarse

Svenska (Swedish)
v. - förstena

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
使石化, 使惊呆, 把...吓呆, 使僵化, 使丧失活力, 石化, 惊呆, 僵化, 丧失活力, 吓呆

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
v. tr. - 使石化, 使驚呆, 把...嚇呆, 使僵化, 使喪失活力
v. intr. - 石化, 驚呆, 僵化, 喪失活力, 嚇呆

한국어 (Korean)
v. tr. - (동.식물 따위를)석질로 만들다, 무정[완고.무감각]하게 하다
v. intr. - 석화하다, 깜짝 놀라 꼼짝 못하게 되다

日本語 (Japanese)
v. - 石質にする, 石のように硬くする, 無情にする

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(فعل) يحجر, يحول لحجر, يشده, يذهل, يصعق‏

עברית (Hebrew)
v. tr. - ‮שיתק, הפיל אימה, איבן, הקשה‬
v. intr. - ‮התאבן‬

If you are unable to view some languages clearly, click here.

To select your translation preferences click here.