Meaning & use
Petrifying
Last updated
Causing extreme fear; terrifying to the point of feeling frozen or paralyzed.
See it in a sentence
Standing at the edge of the cliff was a petrifying experience.
The thought of speaking in front of hundreds of people was petrifying to her.
A note on using this word
Derives from 'petrify,' literally meaning to turn to stone, reflecting the idea of being frozen stiff with fear.
Words with a similar meaning
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
comfortingreassuring
Another way to use it
2. adjective
Turning into stone, or the process of fossilizing organic material.
The petrifying process took thousands of years to turn the wood into stone.
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