penetrate
Americanverb (used with object)
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to pierce or pass into or through.
The bullet penetrated the wall. The fog lights penetrated the mist.
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to enter the interior of.
to penetrate a forest.
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to enter and diffuse itself through; permeate.
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to arrive at the truth or meaning of; understand; comprehend.
to penetrate a mystery.
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to obtain a share of (a market).
to penetrate the Canadian coffee market.
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to affect or impress (the mind or feelings) deeply.
- Synonyms:
- touch
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to extend influence, usually peacefully, into the affairs of (another country).
verb (used without object)
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to enter, reach, or pass through something, as by piercing.
We penetrated to the interior of the Kasbah.
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to be diffused through something.
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to understand or read the meaning of something.
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to have a deep effect or impact on someone.
verb
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to find or force a way into or through (something); pierce; enter
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to diffuse through (a substance); permeate
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(tr) to see through
their eyes could not penetrate the fog
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(tr) (of a man) to insert the penis into the vagina of (a woman)
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(tr) to grasp the meaning of (a principle, etc)
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(intr) to be understood
his face lit up as the new idea penetrated
Related Words
See pierce.
Other Word Forms
- penetrability noun
- penetrable adjective
- penetrably adverb
- penetrative adjective
- penetrator noun
- prepenetrate verb (used with object)
- unpenetrated adjective
Etymology
Origin of penetrate
First recorded in 1520–30; from Latin penetrātus “entered the interior of,” past participle of penetrāre “to enter the interior of,” from penet-, variant stem of penitus “deep down” + -āre, infinitive verb suffix, with the vowel change and addition of -r- probably by analogy with intus “inside,” intrāre “to enter” ( enter ( def. ) )
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.
Like there was a dark cloud of rank, revolting air around me that no one wanted to penetrate for fear of excruciating pain or agonizing injury.
From Literature
Those are words that penetrate, ones that recollect certain names and call forth our senses.
From Los Angeles Times
Some of these particles are so small that they can penetrate deep into the lungs and even enter the bloodstream.
From Science Daily
A powerful drill is used to penetrate the frozen ground to bury training anti-tank mines, which were never banned.
From Barron's
True, they can be “led astray,” but their mistakes will be limited and can be corrected through information that can “penetrate the whole mass of the people.”
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
