petrify
3 synonyms and 1 antonym for petrify, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Verb — To turn to stone: to harden organic matter by permeating with water and depositing dissolved minerals.
Synonyms
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
ossify
lapidify
rigidify
Synonyms by Meaning
1. verb
To turn to stone: to harden organic matter by permeating with water and depositing dissolved minerals.
ossify
lapidify
rigidify
Etymology
It reached English from Middle French pétrifier, which came from Medieval Latin petrificāre, from Latin petra (“rock”), from Ancient Greek πέτρα (pétra, “rock”) plus -ficāre, from facere (“do, make”); it is equivalent to petro- plus -ify.
Full origin of petrify →