Dictionary.com
definitions

penetrating

[ pen-i-trey-ting ]
/ ˈpɛn ɪˌtreɪ tɪŋ /
||
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR penetrating ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

able or tending to penetrate; piercing; sharp: a penetrating shriek; a penetrating glance.
acute; discerning: a penetrating observation.
Surgery. noting a wound that pierces the skin, especially a deep wound entering an organ or body cavity.

RELATED CONTENT

Dork, Dweeb, Nerd, And Geek: Which One Are You?These names used to be roughly interchangeable when distinguishing the social outcasts from the in-crowd in school. Yet, those social rejects were destined to rule the world in the form of Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, et al. “The geek shall inherit the earth,” indeed. Oh yeah, and billions of dollars.  There’s a lot of overlap in meanings. Yet, some of these terms have …
READ MORE

RELATED WORDS

trenchant, biting, piercing, astute, perceptive, shrewd, incisive, profound, clear-cut, pointed, crisp, cutting, shrill, carrying, keen, discerning, searching, discriminating, intrusive

Nearby words

  1. penetralia,
  2. penetrance,
  3. penetrant,
  4. penetrant gene,
  5. penetrate,
  6. penetrating wound,
  7. penetration,
  8. penetration aid,
  9. penetrative,
  10. penetrometer
Also penetrant.

Origin of penetrating

First recorded in 1590–1600; penetrate + -ing2
Related forms

Definition for penetrating (2 of 2)

penetrate

[ pen-i-treyt ]
/ ˈpɛn ɪˌtreɪt /

verb (used with object), pen·e·trat·ed, pen·e·trat·ing.

verb (used without object), pen·e·trat·ed, pen·e·trat·ing.

Origin of penetrate

1520–30; < Latin penetrātus (past participle of penetrāre), equivalent to penet-, variant stem of penitus deep down + -r- (probably by analogy with intus inside: intrāre to enter) + -ātus + -ate1
Related formspen·e·tra·tor, nounpre·pen·e·trate, verb (used with object), pre·pen·e·trat·ed, pre·pen·e·trat·ing.un·pen·e·trat·ed, adjective

Synonym study

1. See pierce.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for penetrating

British Dictionary definitions for penetrating (1 of 2)

penetrating

/ (ˈpɛnɪˌtreɪtɪŋ) /

adjective

tending to or able to penetratea penetrating mind; a penetrating voice
Derived Formspenetratingly, adverb

British Dictionary definitions for penetrating (2 of 2)

penetrate

/ (ˈpɛnɪˌtreɪt) /

verb

to find or force a way into or through (something); pierce; enter
to diffuse through (a substance); permeate
(tr) to see throughtheir eyes could not penetrate the fog
(tr) (of a man) to insert the penis into the vagina of (a woman)
(tr) to grasp the meaning of (a principle, etc)
(intr) to be understoodhis face lit up as the new idea penetrated
Derived Forms

Word Origin for penetrate

C16: from Latin penetrāre; related to penitus inner, and penus the interior of a house
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