petrified

adjective

pet·​ri·​fied ˈpe-trə-ˌfīd 

1

: converted into stone through a slow process of mineralization

petrified wood

a petrified forest

And at the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History's annual dinosaur ball, about 800 patrons in black tie or gown waltz among the petrified remains of the once-glorious creatures.

—Sheldon Teitelbaum

2

: overwhelmingly fearful

was petrified of speaking in public

: rendered motionless or unable to act by fear

Charlie climbed onto the bed and tried to calm the three old people who were still petrified with fear. "Please don't be frightened," he said. "It's quite safe. And we're going to the most wonderful place in the world!"

—Roald Dahl

Winky's petrified brown eyes were visible through her fingers. She seemed too appalled to speak.

—J. K. Rowling

Examples of petrified in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Read More: How Many Bones Are in the Human Body, And Other Fascinating Facts About Skeletons The Petrified Hoax of 1926 in Wisconsin Belief in giants waned by the early twentieth century, but petrified skeletons still fascinated people. —Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 7 Oct. 2024

But Ingrid is petrified of dying and tries to convince Martha there is still plenty worth living for. —Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 5 Oct. 2024

About 2 miles in, bear left to find the caves, which are actually petrified sand dunes. —Tiffany Acosta, The Arizona Republic, 3 Oct. 2024

While the Dogman is only known to leave paw prints and petrified witnesses behind, at least one person is rumored to have died of fright. —Kylie Martin, Detroit Free Press, 3 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

from past participle of petrify

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1