petrifier

Turns things stone

A petrifier is something that petrifies—that turns to stone, or that paralyzes with fear.

The word appears in fantasy games and folklore for creatures or spells that transform victims into stone: The basilisk is the dungeon's most dangerous petrifier.

Outside such contexts, the word is rare.

mythology

medusa

Free-swimming cnidarian form

gorgonSnake-haired petrifying she-beast
basiliskReptile that kills by looking
cockatriceDeadly rooster-headed serpent

cursed · serpent · monster · legend · hydra · chimera · kraken · griffin · dragon · phoenix

stone

granite

Igneous rock, quartz-rich

marbleRecrystallized limestone rock
limestoneCarbonate sedimentary rock
basaltFine-grained volcanic stone

slate · fossilization · calcification · mineral · sculpture · statue · carving · masonry · sedimentary · igneous

transformation

metamorphosis

Profound biological restructuring

transfigurationExalted change in appearance
transmutationComplete change of form
ossificationConversion to bone tissue

fossilize · calcify · solidify · harden · conversion · mutation · morphing · changeover · irreversible · permanent

fear

terror

Extreme, overwhelming fear

dreadIntense anticipatory fear
horrorExtreme fear or disgust
paralysisLoss of muscle function

fright · panic · alarm · trepidation · apprehension · shock · trauma · chill · shudder · frozen

Opposites

transformation effect

petrifieranimator

Sequential image creator

life-giver · reviver · softener · restorer · quickener

emotional impact

petrifiercomforter

Quilted bed covering

soother · calmer · reassurer · encourager · inspirer

Phrases

petrified woodMineralized tree fossils
petrified forestsTrees mineralized over millennia

Family

petrified, petrifies, petrifiers, unpetrified

Familiarity: Top 1,000,000
Profile: Used worldwide · Timeless · Negative · Everyday, not technical · Rated PG