Ossified

adj, verb, slang

adj, verb, slang ·3 syllables ·Very common ·Middle school level

Definitions

Verb
  1. 1
    simple past and past participle of ossify form-of, participle, past
Adjective
  1. 1
    Having undergone the process of ossification (transformation into bone or a bone-like mass).

    "ossified cartilage"

  2. 2
    Inflexible, old-fashioned. figuratively

    "Launching a new platform, he said, was like starting a new country: Getting users to move from an established network that had an ossified economy and social classes to a new network requires the possibility of success — the lure of the American Dream."

  3. 3
    Drunk. Ireland, US, slang

    "At Wanda's house, two nights before the wedding, she, Jenny, and two other girls were doing shots with beer chasers while Tom and I and another guy watched as they all got ossified."

Adjective
  1. 1
    set in a rigidly conventional pattern of behavior, habits, or beliefs wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms
a sheet in the winda sheet in the wind's eyeadrian quistadripaled upall mops and brooms

Example

More examples

"Launching a new platform, he said, was like starting a new country: Getting users to move from an established network that had an ossified economy and social classes to a new network requires the possibility of success — the lure of the American Dream."

Related phrases

old fashioned

More for "ossified"

SynonymsSentencesPronunciationTranslate

Next best steps

Find stronger synonymsSee usage examplesCheck pronunciationBrowse writing guides

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.