Make Your Point: PETRIFY

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pronounce PETRIFY:

PEH triff eye

Hear it.

connect this word to others:

Sure: the slang phrase "I can't even" has its own expressive power. But we don't need it; English has so many cool words that describe, very precisely, how we feel when we can't even.

See if you can recall the words missing from the table below!

When we can't even...	we've been...
think	dec_____ated.
act	nonp__ed.
move	stunned, paralyzed, or petrified.
speak	dumb_____ed.

Today we'll explore that word petrified. When suddenly we can't move, and it's as if we've been turned to stone, we feel petrified.

(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)

definition:

The word "petrify" has Latin bits that mean "to become rock or stone."

And that's what it can mean, in its most literal sense. Here's a piece of petrified wood, found in a forest in Arizona; the process took millions of years.

(Source)

Figuratively speaking, when something petrifies you, it scares you so badly that you can't even move, as if you've turned into stone.

grammatical bits:

Part of speech:

Verb, the transitive kind: "The thought petrifies us;" "We're petrified by the thought."

Other forms:

petrified, petrifying, petrifyingly, petrification

how to use it:

"Petrify" is a common, formal word, and highly emphatic.

Describe someone as petrified when you need to express their incapacitating horror in a serious way. "She's petrified of snakes." "I was too petrified to speak up." "A migraine would signal itself with a petrifying numbness in the left hand."

Still, "petrified" is good for a laugh. "All we had in our pantry was a plastic bag of ketchup packets and two petrified bagels." "Wads and wads of gum, long ago petrified, are glued to the unde

examples:

"When a storm was on I thought the whole roof was going to lift off, like in The Wizard of Oz. Used to petrify me."
— David Mitchell, Black Swan Green, 2006

"Here are seven tips to protect yourself whether a recession is coming or not. 1. Don't be afraid of a bear market. You may not even know what a bear market is but you're primed to be petrified of one."
— Michelle Singletary, Washington Post, 28 December 2022

has this page helped you understand "petrify"?

Awesome, I'm glad it helped!

Thanks for letting me know!
If you have any questions about this word, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

study it:

Explain the meaning of "petrify" without saying "terrify" or "immobilize."

try it out:

Think of a time in a dream or in real life when you were too scared to move.

Fill in the blanks: "I stood, petrified, as (something happened)."

Example: "I stood, petrified, as two hulking animals emerged from the trees, their eyes shining through the dark."

before you review, play:

Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.

Our game for February: Word Choice Chuckles!

I’ll give you a snippet of text that I spotted in the wild, with one word or phrase removed and its meaning described. See if you can fill in a word or phrase that'll give the reader a good chuckle. Be cheesy. Be punny. Get in there and make me proud.

Here's an example:

"This comes at a time of _____ in the mattress industry."
— Dan Solomon, Texas Monthly, 15 December 2017

Meaning of the missing word: "strife."

Answer: "unrest."

Try this last one today:

"Botox pricing will reflect a slight increase this year to $13 per unit. Filler prices will remain _____."
— Rachel Duke, marketing email for RachelDuke.com, 17 January 2023

Meaning of the missing word: "the same."

To see the answer, scroll all the way down.

review this word:

1. Near opposites of PETRIFY include

A. ASSURE and ANIMATE.
B. DISFAVOR and IGNORE.
C. EMBODY and PERSONIFY.

2. In the Harry Potter series, the magic spell Petrificus Totalus _____.

A. fully shatters the target
B. fully immobilizes the victim
C. fully mends whatever is broken

a final word:

I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.

From my blog:
On vocabulary...
  36 ways to study words.
  Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
  How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
On writing...
How to improve any sentence.
How to motivate our kids to write.
How to stop procrastinating and start writing.
How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count.

From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.

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Make Your Point > Archived Issues > PETRIFY

See this issue on Make Your Point, Jr.

Send Make Your Point issues straight to your inbox.