searching
Americanadjective
-
examining carefully or thoroughly.
a searching inspection.
-
acutely observant or penetrating.
a searching glance; a searching mind.
-
piercing or sharp.
a searching wind.
adjective
Other Word Forms
- searchingly adverb
- searchingness noun
- self-searching adjective
- unsearching adjective
- unsearchingly adverb
Etymology
Origin of searching
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.
"When searching for fossils of early sponges I had expected them to be very small," said Alex Liu, a collaborator from the University of Cambridge.
From Science Daily • Apr. 15, 2026
But it’s a good ride, and classic in its way; searching the phrase “get mixed up with gangsters” brings forth a host of old comedies.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2026
The voice belonged to Scott Brown, a crew member on the D-class inshore lifeboat that had been searching for Mandy after receiving multiple 999 calls.
From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026
Joe Gonzales founded Brooklyn Stroll Club in late 2024 after becoming a dad and fruitlessly searching for a local fatherhood group.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026
He’d been searching Deadwood Dump for a human book, a tale to keep him company on the long, lonely nights.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
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.
