Nota: A tradução desta entrada está atualmente em revisão de qualidade, portanto parte do conteúdo é exibida temporariamente apenas em inglês.
Este verbete ainda não foi traduzido para o seu idioma, portanto o original é exibido abaixo.
petrifying
In a psychological sense, this word describes a terror so intense that it induces a state of paralysis. It is significantly more potent than "scary" or "frightening," implying a total loss of agency or the inability to react. It is frequently used in gothic or horror contexts to evoke a visceral, freezing sensation of dread.
In a geological context, the term refers to the literal transformation of organic material into stone. While the emotional meaning is common in everyday speech, the scientific meaning is technical and specific to paleontology and mineralogy. These two senses are linked by the shared concept of becoming rigid or immobile like a rock.
Meanings
Examples
The thought of public speaking is absolutely petrifying to me.
I cannot believe I have to do this. The silence in the room is petrifying.
The monster let out a petrifying scream that echoed through the halls.
She stood frozen in a petrifying moment of realization.
She stood frozen in a petrifying moment of realization.
That was a petrifying experience, but I survived.
That was a petrifying experience, but I survived.
The museum displays several pieces of petrifying wood from the Jurassic period.
Is the process of petrifying organic matter always this slow?
The look on the boss face was simply petrifying.