- present participle of petrify.
petrifying
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“This was the most petrifying part, not being able to be there to shield your kids and know if they were safe,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 15, 2025
A family have told of the "petrifying" moment a tree smashed through the windows of their house in the Highlands during Storm Amy.
From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2025
The self-infantilizing is disconcerting to watch, and no doubt petrifying to experience firsthand, but Gaga dodges the fan and gets into her waiting vehicle.
From Salon ● Aug. 26, 2025
Holley gifts his readers with a uniquely intimate history of Black liberation that clearly demonstrates the error in petrifying these figures.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 23, 2023
Worse still, it isn’t actually necessary to look to space for petrifying danger.
From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson
