penetrate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
penetrates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
penetrated,
past participle, past
-
penetrating
present participle
-
to pierce or pass into or through.
The bullet penetrated the wall. The fog lights penetrated the mist.
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to enter the interior of.
to penetrate a forest.
-
to enter and diffuse itself through; permeate.
-
to arrive at the truth or meaning of; understand; comprehend.
to penetrate a mystery.
-
to obtain a share of (a market).
to penetrate the Canadian coffee market.
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to affect or impress (the mind or feelings) deeply.
- Synonyms:
- touch
-
to extend influence, usually peacefully, into the affairs of (another country).
verb (used without object)
-
penetrates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
penetrated,
past participle, past
-
penetrating
present participle
-
to enter, reach, or pass through something, as by piercing.
We penetrated to the interior of the Kasbah.
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to be diffused through something.
-
to understand or read the meaning of something.
-
to have a deep effect or impact on someone.
verb
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to find or force a way into or through (something); pierce; enter
-
to diffuse through (a substance); permeate
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(tr) to see through
their eyes could not penetrate the fog
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(tr) (of a man) to insert the penis into the vagina of (a woman)
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(tr) to grasp the meaning of (a principle, etc)
-
(intr) to be understood
his face lit up as the new idea penetrated
Synonym Usage
See pierce.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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penetrabilitynoun
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penetratornoun
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prepenetrateverb (used with object)
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penetrableadjective
-
penetrativeadjective
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unpenetratedadjective
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penetrablyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
penetratesimple
-
penetratessimple
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have penetratedperfect
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has penetratedperfect
-
am penetratingprogressive
-
are penetratingprogressive
-
is penetratingprogressive
-
have been penetratingperfect progressive
-
has been penetratingperfect progressive
Past
-
penetratedsimple
-
had penetratedperfect
-
was penetratingprogressive
-
were penetratingprogressive
-
had been penetratingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of penetrate
First recorded in 1520–30; from Latin penetrātus “entered the interior of,” past participle of penetrāre “to enter the interior of,” from penet-, variant stem of penitus “deep down” + -āre, infinitive verb suffix, with the vowel change and addition of -r- probably by analogy with intus “inside,” intrāre “to enter” ( see enter ( def. ))
Explanation
To penetrate is to force into or pierce through. If the fog is thick as pea soup, your flashlight won’t penetrate it. If you stubbornly ignore good advice, people might say nothing can penetrate that thick skull of yours. We get penetrate from the Latin word penetrare, which combines penes ("within") and intrare ("to enter"). Penetrate crops up most often to describe entering or permeating. Blaring music penetrated every corner of the dorm and we wondered how anyone could study with that racket. Penetrate can also mean to decipher or understand: "Careful study allowed us to penetrate the mysteries of Pig Latin." Finally — no surprise, given its Latin roots — the word can be used to describe sexual intercourse.
Vocabulary lists containing penetrate
"The Ravine," Vocabulary from the short story
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Tuck Everlasting
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Esperanza Rising
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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:
Permafrost degradation may also weaken mountain slopes and allow water to penetrate deeper into fractures.
From Barron's ● Sep. 4, 2026
The frequencies from the BioCharger’s three coils and light from the tubes are said to penetrate the user’s cell walls to balance their cellular makeup, creating relaxation, clarity and, ultimately, fulfilling the user’s desired “recipe.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026
“Microsoft wasn’t giving much of an off-ramp, and they were dropping their security package during a critical time for nonprofits, when we’re seeing A.I.’s ability to penetrate more organizational infrastructure,” said Weiner.
From Slate ● Aug. 18, 2026
While issues persist across the park, from their profligacy in front of goal to their inability to penetrate organised defences, their continued defense lapses will undoubtedly be a growing cause for concern.
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026
And how could the boy, or anybody else, know about the cave or penetrate its protection?
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
This setup has enabled them to watch, live and in sharp detail, the moment an influenza virus penetrates a living cell.
From Science Daily ● Dec. 4, 2025
It’s rare anything penetrates the preternatural calm with which Watkins plays, but it was clear the superstar sophomore was pressing, in the throes of her worst slump yet at USC.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 12, 2025
By being forced to conceal their feminist values, she argues women are being stripped of their ability to fight against gender inequality, which penetrates workplaces, politics and public life.
From BBC ● Jan. 11, 2025
He likens the brain to a leaky bucket, where the water level is the amount of dye that penetrates it.
From Science Magazine ● May 24, 2024
"Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope."
From "Courage to Soar" by Simone Biles
Several centuries-old trees have been lost, as the fire penetrated their root systems, Forestry England said.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
In one fell swoop, The Beatles penetrated two more demographics.
From Salon ● Aug. 5, 2026
The contrast suggests that solar wind particles penetrated much farther into the far side regolith.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 21, 2026
“Their communications have certainly been penetrated — they cannot meet without being targeted by Israel or the United States,” he added.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 8, 2026
“But how to reach it? This potion cannot be penetrated by hand, Vanished, parted, scooped up, or siphoned away, nor can it be Transfigured, Charmed, or otherwise made to change its nature.”
From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling
On Sunday rescue workers in China recovered twelve bodies in the Nepal-Tibet border, using excavators, shovels and ground penetrating radar at the site.
From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026
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
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
In terms of penetrating the code of silence, “the police are easier to crack than firefighters,” she added.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 23, 2026
He paused, however, at the sight of Reynie Muldoon’s penetrating stare.
From "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart
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.
