Definitions

1. verb

to cause someone or something to be extremely frightened or shocked

“The horror movie was so scary that it petrified the children in the audience.”

2. verb

to preserve something, especially a body or a fossil, by turning it into stone or a hard substance

“The archaeologist tried to petrify the ancient tree to preserve it for future generations.”

3. verb

to cause something to become stiff or hard, especially because of cold or fear

“The cold weather petrified the water, making it impossible to swim.”

4. noun

a state of extreme fear or shock

“The crowd was in a state of petrification after the plane crash.”

5. noun

a state of being stiff or hard, especially because of cold or fear

“The petrification of the tree made it difficult to cut through.”