piercing

play

adjective pierc·ing \ ˈpir-siŋ \

Definition of piercing

:penetrating: such as

a :loud, shrill

piercing cries

b :perceptive

piercing eyes

c :penetratingly cold :biting

a piercing wind

d :cutting, incisive

piercing sarcasm

—

piercingly

play \ˈpir-siŋ-lē\ adverb

See piercing defined for English-language learners

See piercing defined for kids

Examples of piercing in a Sentence

She looked at me with piercing eyes, and I was suddenly frightened that she knew what I had done.
I tried to avoid his piercing stare.
She felt a piercing sadness when she heard the news.

Recent Examples of piercing from the Web

One of the first instances of body art practitioners asking to be regulated was in Florida, where a piercing law was enacted in 1999 with input from the industry.

— marsha mercer, Washington Post, "How safe and sanitary is ‘body art’? Laws regulating tattoos, piercing vary widely.," 25 June 2017
More muscles and more lustrous hair and more piercing eyes.

— kenzie bryant, Vanities, "Jon Hamm Wants to Prove How Many Beautiful People Are Funny, Too," 19 June 2017
But Cornell still emerged as one of alternative-rock’s ultimate heartthrobs for his long, curly hair, fondness for going shirtless and piercing eyes.

— chris macias, sacbee.com, "Why Gen X - and rockers everywhere - are mourning Chris Cornell," 18 May 2017
But his piercing skill was enough to instill fear in the Panamanian soccer team, which responded with brute force in a 1-1 draw with the United States on Tuesday night.

— david waldstein, New York Times, "Christian Pulisic of U.S. Becomes a Target, but Makes His Mark Anyway," 29 Mar. 2017
In addition to airing some of the most piercing comedic satire going about our new president, Donald Trump, Saturday Night Live has also gotten very smart about who gets invited to host.

— joanna robinson, VanityFair.com, "Alec Baldwin Will Get an Entire Saturday Night Live Episode to Make Fun of Trump," 23 Jan. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'piercing.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of piercing

14th century

piercing Synonyms

Synonyms

biting, bitter, keen, penetrating, cutting, raw, sharp, shrewd, smarting, stinging

Antonyms

gentle, low, soft

Related Words

brisk, invigorating, nippy, snappy; needlelike, prickly, tingling; caustic, corrosive

Near Antonyms

balmy, gentle, mild, soothing

piercing

noun

Definition of piercing

:a piece of jewelry (such as a ring or stud) that is attached to pierced flesh

See piercing defined for English-language learners

Examples of piercing in a Sentence

There's a small shop in town where they do tattooing and body piercing.
She got another ear piercing.

Recent Examples of piercing from the Web

An array of merch and art vendors tents -- many Akron-themed -- encircled the park, offering everything from piercings to handmade clothing and tie dyes to purses made from vinyl records.

— jennifer conn, akron reporter, cleveland.com, "6th annual PorchRokr Music & Arts Fest draws hundreds to Highland Square," 20 Aug. 2017
Pogba teed up his countryman and after a piercing run the forward finished into the bottom corner with an assured finish.

— SI.com, "Swansea 0-4 Man United: Ruthless Red Devils Record Back-to-Back 4-0 Wins as Lukaku Scores Again," 19 Aug. 2017
The worst part, as with most body piercings, was the slight, tight pinch both times the needle was swapped out for starter jewelry.

— amber rambharose, Glamour, "I Got My Nipples Pierced to Feel Better About My Boobs Getting Smaller," 16 Aug. 2017
As for ears, keep 'em clean, guys, Natterson counsels, while also dispensing advice on such things as caring for piercings and the dangers of blasting music directly into one's head via earbuds and headphones.

— leanne italie, Detroit Free Press, "New book offers a head-to-toe approach to raising boys," 13 Aug. 2017
There are zero traces of tattoos or piercings or shirtless arm-crossed tough guy poses.

— drew magary, GQ, "Josh Rosen Is the Smartest Player in College Football—and He’s Gonna Pay For It," 9 Aug. 2017
His groundbreaking play AC/DC, which premiered at London's Royal Court Theatre in 1970 and opened in New York the following year, concluded with a trepanation - the piercing of a character's skull.

— Philly.com, "Heathcote Williams | British playwright, 75," 5 July 2017
My husband stood stoically a few feet away, hunched over the exam table, gently nuzzling our tiny two-week-old son as, to his piercing shrieks, the technician drew vial after vial of blood.

— margot cleveland, National Review, "Why Rome’s Statement on Charlie Gard Was So Devastating," 3 July 2017
Trump told the basketballer, who was wearing his trademark sunglasses and adorned with piercings.

— anna fifield, Washington Post, "Dennis Rodman is on his way to North Korea. Was he sent by Trump?," 12 June 2017

First Known Use of piercing

1977

Other Jewelry Terms

bijou, brilliant, chase, facet, lapidary, paste

PIERCING Defined for English Language Learners

piercing

play

adjective

Definition of piercing for English Language Learners

: seeming to have the power to see a person's thoughts or feelings
: very loud and high-pitched
: having a strong affect on someone : felt in a very noticeable way

piercing

noun

Definition of piercing for English Language Learners

: the act or practice of decorating your body with jewelry or other objects that are attached directly to your skin
: a hole through part of the body where a piece of jewelry can be attached