pierced

American  

[peerst] / pɪərst /

adjective

1. punctured or perforated, as to form a decorative design.

   a pendant in pierced copper.

2. relating to or being a body part punctured for the purpose of inserting jewelry.

   From jungle tribes to desert nomads to royalty, pierced ears were indicators of both beauty and social standing.

3. relating to or being jewelry attached through a punctured body part: Nude bellies can be enhanced with pierced navel rings.

   Pierced earrings cannot be returned or exchanged due to hygiene reasons.

   Nude bellies can be enhanced with pierced navel rings.

4. Heraldry. (of a charge) open at the center to reveal the field.

   a lozenge pierced.

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Usage

What does pierced mean? Pierced is an adjective that describes things that have had holes made in them by being penetrated or punctured, usually with something sharp. The word comes from the past tense of the verb pierce, which means to penetrate or puncture things in this way. 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. Pierced is especially used to describe ears and other body parts that have had a hole put in them so that jewelry can be inserted, as in pierced ears, pierced lip, pierced nose, and pierced eyebrow. It can also describe someone who has piercings, as in He was one of those pierced and tattooed guys. Pierced metal is metal that has been perforated with holes, such as to form a design. Example: My ears aren’t pierced—this is just a clip-on earring.

Other Word Forms

• unpierced adjective

Etymology

Origin of pierced

First recorded in 1300–50; pierce, -ed ²

Example Sentences

“Her heart was pierced because of what she would see,” Wille said, in what struck me as a moment of restrained insight.

From Salon • Apr. 6, 2026

Iran’s Riyadh attack pierced the tranquility of that leafy enclave, which houses most foreign embassies along with thousands of expats and Saudis, including top business executives, a few ministers and even some royals.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 4, 2026

He told the jury he learned the injury had pierced her skin and became "concerned the diagnosis may be rabies".

From BBC • Mar. 3, 2026

Over time, they became emboldened, and at least one pierced both eggs.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 2, 2026

I thought of the voices, of their strange contradictions—of the way they made sound float on air, of how that sound was soft like a warm wind, but so sharp it pierced.

From "Educated" by Tara Westover