fossilized

Describes something that has become fixed, outdated, or rigid, often referring to ideas, habits, or language forms that no longer change or develop.

• 🇫🇷Décrit ce qui est devenu figé, obsolète ou rigide, souvent à propos d'idées, d'habitudes ou de formes linguistiques qui ne changent plus et n'évoluent plus.

1. Turned into a fossil B2 formal scientific

   Describing organic material that has been preserved and turned into a fossil over geological time.

   • The fossilized remains of the dinosaur were discovered in the desert.
   • Fossilized wood can be found in many ancient rock formations.
   • Scientists study fossilized bones to understand prehistoric life.

   🇫🇷fossilisé

2. Outdated or fixed C1 informal

   Describing ideas, attitudes, or systems that are old-fashioned and no longer change or develop.

   • His fossilized views on education are not helpful today.
   • The company's fossilized management style is holding back innovation.
   • She criticized the fossilized traditions of the institution.

   🇫🇷figé

   Synonymes: antiquatedarchaicentrenchedobsoleteoutdatedoutmodedrigidstaticunchanging

   Antonymes: currentdynamicflexibleinnovativemodernprogressive

• more fossilized comparative form
• most fossilized superlative form

A verb meaning to convert or become converted into a fossil, or to become rigid and outdated.

• 🇫🇷Verbe signifiant transformer ou se transformer en fossile, ou devenir rigide, figé et dépassé.

1. Convert to a fossil B2 formal scientific

   To preserve the remains of a plant or animal in the earth's crust, turning them into a fossil.

   • The dinosaur bones fossilized over millions of years.
   • Wood can fossilize under the right conditions.
   • Scientists study how organisms fossilize to understand ancient life.

   🇫🇷Transformer en fossile

   Synonymes: mineralizepetrify

2. Become mentally inflexible C1 informal

   To become fixed in one's ideas, habits, or ways of thinking, often resistant to change.

   • He fossilized in his old-fashioned views and refused to adapt.
   • The company's management fossilized, ignoring new market trends.
   • She worried that she would fossilize if she stayed in the same job for too long.

   🇫🇷Se figer intellectuellement

   Synonymes: hardenossifypetrifyrigidifyset

   Antonymes: adaptadjustchangedevelopevolvegrow

• fossilized past participle
• fossilized past simple
• fossilizing present participle
• fossilizes third person singular