piercing
From WikiWord
English
Etymology
No etymology has been added yet.
Pronunciation
- IPA /ˈpɪəsɪŋ/
Noun
piercing noun
- The action of the verb to pierce.
- A hole made in the body so that jewellery/jewelry can be worn through it.“ear piercing”
- An item of jewelry designed to be fitted through a piercing.
Verb
piercing verb
- To puncture; to break through“The diver pierced the surface of the water with scarcely a splash.”
- To create a hole in the skin for the purpose of inserting jewelry“Can you believe he pierced his tongue?”
- To break or interrupt abruptly“A scream pierced the silence.”
- To get to the heart or crux of (a matter).“to pierce a mystery”
Adjective
piercing adjective
- Appearing to look deeply into; penetrating.“piercing eyes”
- Of temperature, extremely cold so that it penetrates through clothing and shelter.
- Of sound, loud and sharp; shrill.“The piercing noise of the children could be heard two blocks from the elementary school.”
Word map
Related terms
Synonyms
sharpcuttingpenetratingstabbingpenetrativeknifelikehighhigh-pitchedshrillincisivecacophonouskeenacuteperceptivediscriminatingcacophonic
Associated
Rhymes
Usage & collocations
No usage or collocation data has been added yet.
Community definitions
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Usage in the wild
Real example sentences for piercing appear here as readers add them.