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

What did that earth remember, that patch of chalky Pleistocene tuff full of the petrified remains of pre-people and their stone hand axes? —Literary Hub, 30 Apr. 2026

The short Giant Logs Trail gives hikers the chance to see petrified wood up close, and the beautiful Blue Mesa Trail showcases the Painted Desert’s colorful cones. —Catherine Garcia, TheWeek, 27 Apr. 2026

Hike the Giant Logs Trail to see petrified tree fossils that are over 200 million years old. —Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 4 Apr. 2026

Sprinkled amid this lunar landscape is a colorful collection of petrified wood. —Roger Naylor, AZCentral.com, 29 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

from past participle of petrify

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for petrified

• actinide
• aldehyde
• alkoxide
• alongside
• amplified
• arsenide
• beautified
• biocide
• butoxide
• calcified
• ceramide
• certified