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  • ear-piercing
    ear-piercing
    adjective
    extremely harsh and irritating to the ear.
  • ear piercing
    ear piercing
    noun
    the making of a hole in the lobe of an ear, using a sterilized needle, so that an earring may be worn fastened in the hole
Synonyms

ear-piercing

American  
[eer-peer-sing] / ˈɪərˌpɪər sɪŋ /

adjective

  1. extremely harsh and irritating to the ear.

    ear-piercing noise.


ear piercing British  

noun

  1. the making of a hole in the lobe of an ear, using a sterilized needle, so that an earring may be worn fastened in the hole

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

  1. so loud or shrill as to hurt the ears

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of ear-piercing

First recorded in 1595–1605

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.

See Examples For:

A certain portion of the fanbase do romanticise the ear-piercing sound of the engines from the 1990s and early 2000s.

From BBC Apr. 15, 2025

And he’s not referring to the ear-piercing, 130-decibel sound coming from his Red Bull Racing 20 car.

From Los Angeles Times Mar. 8, 2024

The only construction activity was a truck that dumped loads of crushed rock, making an ear-piercing screech.

From New York Times May 31, 2023

Every match has felt like a home game for Morocco, whose passionate supporters greeted all the spells of possession by Spain and Portugal with ear-piercing whistles and jeers.

From Seattle Times Dec. 11, 2022

Not like a gym-class monster-dodgeball runner, like flying away from an ear-piercing wail that rings through the classroom and hallways, vibrating the entire school and every inch of Axel’s body.

From "A Bird Will Soar" by Alison Green Myers

Claire's is known for selling jewellery, colourful accessories such as necklaces and bracelets, and is part of millions of young people's memories for its ear piercing services.

From BBC Aug. 6, 2025

The stores were also a major destination for ear piercing services.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 6, 2025

Tiffany Smith, the outreach coordinator for the Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter, said the procedure is about as invasive as getting an ear piercing.

From Washington Times Nov. 28, 2020

He has short hair, a subtle ear piercing that looks like a staple, and the healthy tan of someone who works and surfs several months a year in Latin America — which he does.

From Seattle Times May 31, 2019

“The Butterfly had an ear piercing that wasn’t on era.”

From "Glitch" by Laura Martin

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