piercing

[peer-sing]

adjective

1. loud or shrill, as the quality of a voice.

   Synonyms: screeching, strident, grating

2. extremely cold or bitter.

   a piercing wind.

3. appearing to gaze deeply or penetratingly into something.

   piercing eyes.

4. perceptive or aware; acute.

   a piercing mind.

5. sarcastic or caustic; cutting.

   piercing remarks.

6. having an unpleasantly intense quality or effect.

   a piercing drought.

noun

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. a ring, stud, or other piece of jewelry inserted through a hole in a body part.

   He wears five silver piercings on his ears.

piercing

/ ˈpɪəsɪŋ /

adjective

1. (of a sound) sharp and shrill

2. (of eyes or a look) intense and penetrating

3. (of an emotion) strong and deeply affecting

4. (of cold or wind) intense or biting

noun

1. the art or practice of piercing body parts for the insertion of jewellery

2. an instance of the piercing of a body part

Other Word Forms

• piercingly adverb
• piercingness noun
• unpiercing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of piercing¹

First recorded in 1375–1425; pierce, -ing ²

Example Sentences

“I’m prepared to head back to Claire’s” for another piercing if a buyer is found and keeps at least some of its roughly 1,300 U.S. stores open, Sussberg vowed.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The pair eventually caught up to Morales and began hacking at his arm and head, the blade eventually piercing his skull.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

That level continued to serve as resistance through late 2024 and early 2025, but a bullish piercing line candle in April helped kick off the right side of the triangle.

Read more on Barron's

Rare outtakes from films like “Home Alone,” unseen footage and home videos round out the film and give it a piercing intimacy.

Read more on Salon

Together the pair created some of the most piercing moments in two of the greatest movies ever made.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• biting 
• blaring www.thesaurus.com
• earsplitting 
• fierce 
• high-pitched 
• painful 
• penetrating 
• shrill