piercing
Americanadjective
-
loud or shrill, as the quality of a voice.
- Synonyms:
- screeching, strident, grating
-
extremely cold or bitter.
a piercing wind.
-
appearing to gaze deeply or penetratingly into something.
piercing eyes.
-
perceptive or aware; acute.
a piercing mind.
-
sarcastic or caustic; cutting.
piercing remarks.
-
having an unpleasantly intense quality or effect.
a piercing drought.
noun
-
an act or instance of making a hole or opening in something.
The cleverly engineered design allows for a safe and smooth piercing of the hose for an easy, watertight installation.
-
the practice or technique of puncturing a body part so that jewelry can be inserted.
The shop is super clean and they're obviously experts in piercing.
-
a hole or opening made by puncturing: An infected navel piercing can usually be treated with antibiotics.
The five wall piercings were possibly a reference to the Five Holy Wounds of Christ.
An infected navel piercing can usually be treated with antibiotics.
-
a ring, stud, or other piece of jewelry inserted through a hole in a body part.
He wears five silver piercings on his ears.
adjective
-
(of a sound) sharp and shrill
-
(of eyes or a look) intense and penetrating
-
(of an emotion) strong and deeply affecting
-
(of cold or wind) intense or biting
noun
-
the art or practice of piercing body parts for the insertion of jewellery
-
an instance of the piercing of a body part
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of piercing
Explanation
Piercing means loud or intense, like the piercing scream of the heroine in a horror movie or the piercing cold of the wind on a frigid February morning. The adjective piercing comes from pierce, which means to poke a hole in something with a sharp object. If you've had your ears pierced, you get the idea. Things that are piercing are figuratively sharp, like a piercing look from an angry teacher, the piercing cold of the ocean, or the piercing sound of your smoke detector. There's also a shrewdness or intelligence that can be described as piercing: "The piercing insight in your book report was impressive."
Vocabulary lists containing piercing
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Diary of Anne Frank
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Devil's Arithmetic
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
Yet another “no,” the song’s final word, becomes its own tiny sonic event—wavering then piercing, sliding way up in pitch, more released than sung.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026
It is also worth noting that the prior major low near the $500 area was accompanied by back-to-back bullish piercing line candles last April, reinforcing the importance of that support zone.
From Barron's ● May 21, 2026
They entered the world the way babies should, with piercing cries announcing their arrival.
From Salon ● May 7, 2026
"It was piercing and extremely loud. I thought it was an older child doing it, but then I realised it was the baby who was screaming," he told the court.
From BBC ● Apr. 29, 2026
He gripped the soap bar and his pain reawakened with piercing stings.
From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young
Women in headscarves and long coats share the sidewalk with groups of young men and women in baggy jeans with body piercings and tattoos.
From BBC ● Apr. 23, 2026
During opening remarks, she told Brendan Shannon, the Wilmington, Del., judge overseeing the case, that she and her friends flocked there for piercings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2025
What about in vitro fertilization treatments or ear piercings?
From Slate ● Feb. 12, 2025
Thanos, the Internet-bred Alpha male flanked by two sad little hype men, steps up to the young woman with facial piercings and a don’t-mess-with-me attitude, expecting to be worshipped.
From Salon ● Jan. 5, 2025
She couldn’t have been more than fourteen or fifteen and seemed to have as many piercings in the cartilage of each ear.
From "The Darkest Minds" by Alexandra Bracken
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.
