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• pierce
  pierce

  verb (used with object)

  to penetrate into or run through (something), as a sharp, pointed dagger, object, or instrument does.
• Pierce
  Pierce

  noun

  Franklin, 1804–69, 14th president of the U.S. 1853–57.

pierce

¹ American  

[peers] / pɪərs /

verb (used with object)

• pierces,
  present (3rd person singular)
• pierced,
  past participle,  past
• piercing
  present participle

1. to penetrate into or run through (something), as a sharp, pointed dagger, object, or instrument does.

   Synonyms:

   puncture, enter

2. to make a hole or opening in.

3. to bore into or through; tunnel.

4. to perforate.

5. to make (a hole, opening, etc.) by or as by boring or perforating.

6. to make a way or path into or through.

   a road that pierces the dense jungle.

7. to penetrate with the eye or mind; see into or through.

   She couldn't pierce his thoughts.

8. to affect sharply with some sensation or emotion, as of cold, pain, or grief.

   The wind pierced her body. Her words pierced our hearts.

   Synonyms:

   thrill, strike, move, touch

9. to sound sharply through (the air, stillness, etc.).

   A pistol shot pierced the night.

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verb (used without object)

• pierces,
  present (3rd person singular)
• pierced,
  past participle,  past
• piercing
  present participle

1. to force or make a way into or through something; penetrate.

   to pierce to the heart.

Pierce ² American  

[peers] / pɪərs /

noun

1. Franklin, 1804–69, 14th president of the U.S. 1853–57.

2. John Robinson, 1910–2002, U.S. electrical engineer: helped develop communications satellites.

3. a male given name, form of Peter.

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pierce ¹ British  

/ pɪəs /

verb

1. to form or cut (a hole) in (something) with or as if with a sharp instrument

2. to thrust into or penetrate sharply or violently

   the thorn pierced his heel

3. to force (a way, route, etc) through (something)

4. (of light) to shine through or penetrate (darkness)

5. (also intr) to discover or realize (something) suddenly or (of an idea) to become suddenly apparent

6. (of sounds or cries) to sound sharply through (the silence)

7. to move or affect (a person's emotions, bodily feelings, etc) deeply or sharply

   the cold pierced their bones

8. (intr) to penetrate or be capable of penetrating

   piercing cold

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Pierce ² British  

/ pɪəs /

noun

1. Franklin. 1804–69, US statesman; 14th president of the US (1853–57)

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Usage

What does pierce mean? To pierce something is to penetrate or puncture it, usually with something sharp, making a hole in the process. This sense of the word is associated with needles and other thin, sharp objects used to pierce surfaces. To pierce someone’s ear is to make a hole in it with a needle so that an earring can be inserted. This is called a piercing. The word can be used in the context of someone doing the piercing, as in You will need to pierce the skin with this needle, or in the context of an object piercing something, as in The needle pierced the skin. Things that have been pierced can be described with the adjective pierced, as in pierced ears.  Things that pierce aren’t always sharp. Sometimes, things pierce by penetrating with force. For example, bullets and artillery shells that are designed to pierce protective coverings and shields are described as armor-piercing. More broadly, pierce can mean to make a hole, opening, tunnel, or path into or through something, as in The mountain is pierced by a long tunnel.  These literal senses of pierce are the basis of several figurative senses of the word. Pierce can mean to see into or through, as if penetrating something with the eye or mind, as in Her stare pierced my soul. It can also mean to affect intensely or sharply, as in The wind pierced my face or Your writing needs to pierce the reader’s heart. An insult can pierce you in this way—meaning it can cut you deeply. Similarly, shrill sounds can be said to pierce your ears, the air, or the stillness, and light can be said to pierce the darkness. The word piercing can also be used as an adjective to describe things that are intense, penetrating, or sharp in a figurative way, as in a piercing wind, a piercing scream, a piercing stare, or a piercing remark. Example: This tarp is pretty thick, so to pierce it you’ll have to really stab the stake through it forcefully.

Synonym Usage

Pierce, penetrate suggest the action of one object passing through another or making a way through and into another. The terms are used both concretely and figuratively. To pierce is to perforate quickly, as by stabbing; it suggests the use of a sharp, pointed instrument which is impelled by force: to pierce the flesh with a knife; a scream pierces one's ears. Penetrate suggests a slow or difficult movement: No ordinary bullet can penetrate an elephant's hide; to penetrate the depths of one's ignorance.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• piercer
  noun
• pierceable
  adjective
• unpierceable
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• piercing
  present
• pierced
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• pierce
  simple
• pierces
  simple
• have pierced
  perfect
• has pierced
  perfect
• am piercing
  progressive
• are piercing
  progressive
• is piercing
  progressive
• have been piercing
  perfect progressive
• has been piercing
  perfect progressive

Past

• pierced
  simple
• had pierced
  perfect
• was piercing
  progressive
• were piercing
  progressive
• had been piercing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will pierce
  simple
• will have pierced
  perfect
• will be piercing
  progressive
• will have been piercing
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of pierce

1250–1300; Middle English percen < Old French perc ( i ) er < Vulgar Latin *pertūsiāre, verbal derivative of Latin pertūsus, past participle of pertundere to bore a hole through, perforate, equivalent to per- per- + tundere to strike, beat

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Explanation

If something pokes your hand, you will probably look at your hand to see if it pierced the skin. To pierce means to go right through, especially with something sharp. Pierce has several meanings, but they all involve something sharp penetrating something else, like scissors through a plastic bag or a pen through a pocket. You can also pierce confusion by saying something that makes everything clear. Another meaning has to do with sound. Much like a knife, a sharp sound can pierce the silence and a loud, high shriek will pierce your ears.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pierce Pierce pierces pierced piercing

People like Rupar, who post candid videos and photos that reveal his human weakness, pierce through the increasingly fragile White House efforts to prop up the 80-year-old president as the epitome of strength and masculinity.

From Salon ● Sep. 16, 2026

When a female mosquito bites, it uses specialized mouthparts to pierce through the skin of its chosen host and into the blood vessels.

From Slate ● Aug. 4, 2026

Depending on the type of jellyfish, the stingers may not be sharp enough or long enough to pierce the skin.

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

During charging, tiny tree-like structures called dendrites can grow from the lithium anode, pierce the solid electrolyte, and create internal short circuits.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 10, 2026

I was grateful when light began to pierce through and gradually isolate the dark shapes from the water so we could stop doing things by feel.

From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo

Pierce Brosnan and Helen Mirren have found they quite enjoy mob life, as they embody the dangerous and volatile criminal boss couple Conrad and Maeve Harrigan in "MobLand."

From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2026

While the area may not have been his favorite, the Brolins certainly made the home their own, tapping celebrated interior design studio, Pierce and Ward, to decorate it with a traditional, baronial aesthetic.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 7, 2026

The first pass of the afternoon from Rutgers quarterback Dylan Lonergan sailed past his receiver and directly to USC safety Christian Pierce, who returned the ball to the Scarlet Knights’ 24-yard line.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026

Golding said he was in the "shadow of giants" following in the footsteps of Sir Ringo and Pierce Brosnan, who narrated a 2008 movie special called Thomas & Friends: The Great Discovery.

From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026

“I want y’all to git a good look at this here artermobile, folks!”—BAM—“See how she works!”—BAM—“I ain’t aimin’ to have the only Pierce in town for long!

From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns

The sound of anti-aircraft guns pierces the sky as conversations at the market revolve around rising prices and the coming winter.

From Barron's ● Sep. 27, 2026

More than with Alzheimer’s, in which personality tends to be preserved even as memory fades, FTD pierces the illusion of a continuous identity that persists through life.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026

As we talk, on occasion the screeching call of a toucan pierces the quiet, and miles above, the same giant black birds hover menacingly in groups, surveying everything below.

From Slate ● Mar. 30, 2026

When gold pierces through supply growth by 50%-plus — compared with gold-mining output up around 1% — something is being questioned.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 21, 2025

A sliver of hope pierces me, strangely painful, when combined with the guilt I feel for how I deceived him.

From "Insurgent" by Veronica Roth

Soon after, full-back AJ Brimson - whose direct runs pierced France time and again - led a breakaway before finding Matty Ashton.

From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2026

In the letter, she said she had been scared of getting her ears pierced, so "you went first".

From BBC ● Oct. 18, 2026

Is he the man beneath the word “Harold,” holding the arrow that pierced his eye, or the axeman who flops lifelessly backward after a sword stroke?

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 26, 2026

A mother and her unborn twins miraculously survived after a metal pole fell off a truck on a Southern California freeway, pierced her car windshield and struck her in the stomach, authorities said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026

Your eyes sparkled, too, and the light inside them pierced through my fog of worry.

From "The Bridge Home" by Padma Venkatraman

That ceasefire has been a "breath of fresh air", said the 38-year-old father with piercing blue eyes.

From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2026

Ceramic tiles closer to the front are darker, stained with the unreal heat of piercing the atmosphere.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2026

Although further testing would be needed before the technology could become a practical medical product, the finding suggests a possible route toward monitoring blood sugar without repeatedly piercing the skin.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 23, 2026

The Phantom’s front landing collapsed, piercing the floorboard under the cockpit and rupturing the charge on his ejection seat.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026

Strange piercing screams came from the area of the kitchen.

From "Bunnicula" by Deborah Howe and James Howe

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