petrifying
Causing extreme fear
Petrifying describes something that causes intense fear—so frightening it seems to turn you to stone, unable to move.
A petrifying scream, a petrifying encounter.
The word comes from the same root as petrified, which describes both literal turning to stone and being frozen with terror.
Emotional response to threat
- dreadIntense anticipatory fear
- horrorExtreme fear or disgust
- terrorExtreme, overwhelming fear
- panicUncontrollable sudden fear
fright · nightmare · phobia · anxiety · trepidation · alarm · apprehension · shock
Stone-gazing mythic creature
- gorgonSnake-haired petrifying she-beast
- mythologyBody of traditional tales
- curseInvoked harm through words
- transformationThorough change in form
statue · marble · basilisk · cockatrice · legend · enchantment · spell · victims
Unable to move voluntarily
- frozenSolidified by extreme cold
- rootedFirmly established in place
- stunnedShocked into speechlessness
- transfixedHeld immobile by amazement
motionless · rigid · stiff · stock-still · stopped cold · halted · arrested · deer in headlights
Preserved ancient organism traces
- mineralizationConversion to mineral form
- silicaSilicon dioxide compound
- preservationMaintaining something's condition
- ancientVery old indeed
prehistoric · sediment · geology · paleontology · amber · remains · calcification · replacement
fear
Emotional response to threat
panic · fright · nightmare · phobia · anxiety · trepidation · alarm · apprehension · shock · spine-chilling
Medusa
Stone-gazing mythic creature
- gorgonSnake-haired petrifying she-beast
- mythologyBody of traditional tales
- curseInvoked harm through words
transformation · statue · marble · basilisk · cockatrice · legend · enchantment · spell · victims · Greek mythology
paralyzed
Unable to move voluntarily
transfixed · motionless · rigid · stiff · stock-still · stopped cold · halted · arrested · deer in headlights · spellbound
fossils
Preserved ancient organism traces
- mineralizationConversion to mineral form
- silicaSilicon dioxide compound
- preservationMaintaining something's condition
ancient · prehistoric · sediment · geology · paleontology · amber · remains · calcification · replacement · organic matter
- hardeninghardening, stiffening, solidification, solidifying, rigidifying
- horrorhorror, terror, fear, dread, haunted
petrifyingreassuring
Restoring calm or confidence
comforting · calming · soothing · unalarming · unthreatening
petrifyingrelaxing
Becoming less tense
tranquilizing · pacifying · sedating · liberating · freeing
petrifyingharmless
Causing no injury
unthreatening · innocuous · boring · mundane · unremarkable
petrified, petrify, petroleum, petrifies, petrification, petrifaction, saltpeter