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  • ear-piercing
    ear-piercing
    adjective
    extremely harsh and irritating to the ear.
  • ear piercing
    ear piercing
    noun
    the making of a hole in the lobe of an ear, using a sterilized needle, so that an earring may be worn fastened in the hole
Synonyms

ear-piercing

American  
[eer-peer-sing] / ˈɪərˌpɪər sɪŋ /

adjective

  1. extremely harsh and irritating to the ear.

    ear-piercing noise.


ear piercing British  

noun

  1. the making of a hole in the lobe of an ear, using a sterilized needle, so that an earring may be worn fastened in the hole

"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

adjective

  1. so loud or shrill as to hurt the ears

"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

Etymology

Origin of ear-piercing

First recorded in 1595–1605

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:

And he’s not referring to the ear-piercing, 130-decibel sound coming from his Red Bull Racing 20 car.

From Los Angeles Times Mar. 8, 2024

Hunter was met with ear-piercing screams as she emerged with nine-year-old niece Isabella holding her hand.

From BBC Mar. 25, 2023

But in true late-season wildness, SKC captain Johnny Russell cut through the ear-piercing noise and Seattle’s defense for the game-winner in the 79th minute.

From Seattle Times Oct. 23, 2021

And is “the sound of fear,” to quote from the script, really an ear-piercing scream?

From New York Times Feb. 18, 2019

David runs in a tight circle, flailing his arms, his mouth wide in another ear-piercing howl.

From "Rules" by Cynthia Lord

The stores were also a major destination for ear piercing services.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 6, 2025

Manchester United striker Wout Weghorst talks through some of his first-time experiences in life and his career, including the secret behind his ear piercing.

From BBC Mar. 23, 2023

Tiffany Smith, the outreach coordinator for the Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter, said the procedure is about as invasive as getting an ear piercing.

From Washington Times Nov. 28, 2020

My lectures feel limp and inarticulate – deja vu of me at 13 outside Claire’s Accessories, failing to convince him my quality of life would improve with a second ear piercing.

From The Guardian Apr. 14, 2020

“The Butterfly had an ear piercing that wasn’t on era.”

From "Glitch" by Laura Martin

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