PIERCING Synonyms: 155 Similar and Opposite Words

piercing 1 of 2

adjective

ˈpir-siŋ

Definition of piercing next

as in biting

causing intense discomfort to one's skin that light sweater will be no match for the piercing wind outside

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in loud

marked by a high volume of sound the frightened child emitted a piercing shriek that could be heard all over the house

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

piercing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of pierce

as in penetrating

to go or come in or into thoughts of revenge relentlessly pierced her mind

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in drilling

to make a hole or series of holes in pierced his ears with a needle

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in stabbing

to penetrate or hold (something) with a pointed object the saber pierced his chest, releasing a spurt of blood

Synonyms & Similar Words

Examples of piercing in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

And what is more piercing than the face of Lily Gladstone, as the camera captures the shifting tones of her interior process, seamlessly embodying the courageous Mollie Burkhart. —

Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 13 Jan. 2024 Akbar makes such stories simultaneously funny and piercing and pathetic. —

Mark Athitakis, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2024 The movie’s most piercing moment is at once fictional (one hopes) and tethered to painful, unfantastical reality: Mahito, feeling hopeless and abandoned, suddenly lifts a stone and smashes it against the side of his head, drawing a cascade of blood and leaving a scar that lingers until movie’s end. —

Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times, 24 Nov. 2023 But here is a keen-eyed and piercing adaptation that may well transform the way readers of that novel’s fickle, feminist figure will forever understand Woolf’s legacy, on the page and on the screen. —

Manuel Betancourt, Variety, 17 Nov. 2023 See all Example Sentences for piercing

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'piercing.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.