Definitions
- Describing a state of extreme fear or shock that causes someone to freeze or become immobile. - Referring to the process of turning organic material into stone or fossil. - Talking about the act of making someone feel paralyzed with fear or shock.
- Describing a state of extreme fear or horror that causes someone to feel scared or panicked. - Referring to the act of causing someone to feel intense fear or horror. - Talking about the feeling of being frightened or scared by something.
List of Similarities
- 1Both words describe a state of extreme fear.
- 2Both words can be used to describe a person's emotional state.
- 3Both words can be used to describe the effect of an event or situation on a person.
- 4Both words can be used to describe the impact of a person's actions on another person.
What is the difference?
- 1Intensity: Petrify implies a more extreme and immobilizing fear than terrify.
- 2Action: Terrify is often used to describe the act of causing fear, while petrify is used to describe the state of being frozen with fear.
- 3Duration: Petrify suggests a longer-lasting fear than terrify.
- 4Connotation: Petrify has a more archaic and formal connotation, while terrify is more commonly used in everyday language.
Remember this!
Petrify and terrify are both words that describe a state of extreme fear, but they differ in intensity, action, duration, connotation, and origin. Petrify implies a more immobilizing fear that lasts longer, while terrify is more commonly used and describes the act of causing fear.
