piercing

[ peer-sing ]

/ ˈpɪər sɪŋ /

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adjective

loud or shrill, as the quality of a voice.

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.

Nearby words

Origin of piercing

late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425; see origin at pierce, -ing²

SYNONYMS FOR piercing

1. grating, strident, screeching.

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Related formspierc·ing·ly, adverbpierc·ing·ness, nounun·pierc·ing, adjective

pierce

[ peers ]

/ pɪərs /

verb (used with object), pierced, pierc·ing.

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

to make a hole or opening in.

to bore into or through; tunnel.

to perforate.

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

to make a way or path into or through: a road that pierces the dense jungle.

to penetrate with the eye or mind; see into or through: She couldn't pierce his thoughts.

to affect sharply with some sensation or emotion, as of cold, pain, or grief: The wind pierced her body. Her words pierced our hearts.

to sound sharply through (the air, stillness, etc.): A pistol shot pierced the night.

verb (used without object), pierced, pierc·ing.

to force or make a way into or through something; penetrate: to pierce to the heart.

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

SYNONYMS FOR pierce

1. enter, puncture. 8. touch, move, strike, thrill.

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Related formspierce·a·ble, adjectivepierc·er, nounun·pierce·a·ble, adjective

Synonym study

1. 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.

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

Examples from the Web for piercing

“Hell yeah,” he says with a smile and a piercing, blue-eyed stare.
My Bizarre Night With James Deen, Libertarian Porn Star|Emily Shire|November 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Thunderous sounds announce its arrival, piercing the silence that accompanies sundown in the swampland near Boystown, Liberia.
Rage Against the Ebola Crematorium|Abby Haglage|November 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Sensitive subjects are met with a short burst of laughter, and serious answers are sandwiched between a piercing gaze.
A Belgian Prince, Gorillas, Guerrillas & the Future of the Congo|Nina Strochlic|November 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
One of the most piercing observations of the article is that while those who had worked with him trusted Welby, no one knew him.
UK’s No 1 Churchman Doubts Existence of God: The Archbishop of Canterbury Thinks Deep When Running With His Dog|Tim Teeman|September 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST

His piercing azure eyes are complemented by a new addition to his appearance: a septum piercing in his nose.
‘Boyhood’ Star Ellar Coltrane: An Astonishing Debut 12 Years in the Making|Kevin Fallon|July 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He was an elderly man, with hard features and piercing eyes, who received me almost brutally, as if I had been a criminal.
The Clique of Gold|Emile Gaboriau
Montbarts was a young man of about seven or eight-and-twenty, with manly and marked features, and a fixed and piercing eye.
The Buccaneer Chief|Gustave Aimard
But over their tumult there came a wild outburst of piercing shrieks.
The Scapegoat|Hall Caine
Towards three o'clock in the morning Herbert uttered a piercing cry.
The Mysterious Island|Jules Verne
With a piercing yell she turned and fled, and with such precipitancy that she pulled the net off the handle.
The Uttermost Farthing|R. Austin Freeman

British Dictionary definitions for piercing

piercing

/ (ˈpɪəsɪŋ) /

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

Derived Formspiercingly, adverb

pierce

/ (pɪəs) /

verb (mainly tr)

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

to thrust into or penetrate sharply or violentlythe thorn pierced his heel

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

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

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

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

to move or affect (a person's emotions, bodily feelings, etc) deeply or sharplythe cold pierced their bones

(intr) to penetrate or be capable of penetratingpiercing cold

Derived Formspierceable, adjectivepiercer, noun

Word Origin for pierce

C13 percen, from Old French percer, ultimately from Latin pertundere, from per through + tundere to strike

Pierce

/ (pɪəs) /

noun

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

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

Word Origin and History for piercing

piercing

adj.

in reference to cold, sound, etc., early 15c., present participle adjective from pierce (v.). Figuratively, of pain, grief, etc., from late 14c. Related: Piercingly.

piercing

late 14c., verbal noun from pierce (v.).

pierce

late 13c. "make a hole in; force one's way through," from Anglo-French perser, Old French percier "pierce, transfix, drive through" (12c., Modern French percer), probably from Vulgar Latin *pertusiare, frequentative of Latin pertusus, past participle of pertundere "to thrust or bore through," from per- "through" (see per) + tundere "to beat, pound," from PIE *tund-, from root *(s)teu- "to push, strike, knock, beat, thrust" (see obtuse). Related: Pierced; piercing.

piercing

adjective

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of piercing

pierce

verb (used with object), pierced, pierc·ing.

verb (used without object), pierced, pierc·ing.

Origin of pierce

Synonym study

Examples from the Web for piercing

piercing

adjective

noun

pierce

verb (mainly tr)

Word Origin for pierce

Pierce

noun

piercing

piercing

pierce