petrified
petrified Lexical Profile
petrified Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
So frightened or terrified that one is unable to move or think clearly.
"The young actor stood petrified on the stage when he suddenly forgot his opening lines."
Converted into a stony substance by the gradual replacement or encrustation of organic matter with dissolved minerals over geological time.
"The national park is famous for its ancient, colorful trunks of petrified wood scattered across the desert floor."
Rigidly fixed and resistant to change or development (especially of attitudes, institutions, or customs).
"The reformers struggled to modernize the nation's petrified bureaucratic hierarchy."
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from the verb 'petrify', which was borrowed from Middle French 'pétrifier', combining the Latin 'petra' (from Ancient Greek 'petra', meaning 'rock' or 'stone') and '-ficare' ('to make').