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Synonyms

penetrating

American  
[pen-i-trey-ting] / ˈpɛn ɪˌtreɪ tɪŋ /

adjective

  1. able or tending to penetrate; piercing; sharp: a penetrating glance.

    a penetrating shriek;

    a penetrating glance.

  2. acute; discerning.

    a penetrating observation.

    Synonyms:
    sharp, keen
    Antonyms:
    obtuse
  3. Surgery. noting a wound that pierces the skin, especially a deep wound entering an organ or body cavity.


penetrating British  
/ ˈpɛnɪˌtreɪtɪŋ /

adjective

  1. tending to or able to penetrate

    a penetrating mind

    a penetrating voice

"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

Synonym Usage

See acute.

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of penetrating

First recorded in 1590–1600; penetrat(e) + -ing 2

Vocabulary lists containing penetrating

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:

Companies are boosting their usage of AI, with the technology now penetrating one in five U.S. businesses, per the U.S.

From MarketWatch Jul. 8, 2026

The long-range Ukrainian drones now penetrating deep inside the country.

From BBC Jun. 7, 2026

Nothing is more sublime than transitioning from Jimin’s penetrating vocals of “You know how we do!” on “2.0” directly to the deep reverberations of the ancient bell that soothe and reset.

From Salon Jun. 5, 2026

Parkinson said he does not know when search with soil testing and ground penetrating radar will be done.

From Los Angeles Times May 8, 2026

The man stopped his spinning and looked up at me with pale, penetrating eyes.

From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff

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