piercing

adjective

pierc·ing | \ ˈpir-siŋ

Definition of piercing

(Entry 1 of 2)

: penetrating: such as

a : loud, shrill piercing cries

b : perceptive piercing eyes

c : penetratingly cold : biting a piercing wind

d : cutting, incisive piercing sarcasm

piercing

noun

Definition of piercing (Entry 2 of 2)

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

Other Words from piercing Synonyms Example Sentences Learn More about piercing

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Examples of piercing in a Sentence

Adjective

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.

Noun

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

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

But the visualization shows the midsection buzz transforming into a more piercing screech to overcome the pump’s din. — Hiroko Tabuchi, New York Times, "Near Noisy Oil Fields, Lovesick Birds Change Their Tunes," 13 Mar. 2018 Making her ice blue gaze that much more piercing, glowing skin and a rosy nude pigment (courtesy of Dior’s new Addict Lacquer Plump lip stain in Lovely-D) rounded out the look. — Lauren Valenti, Vogue, "Inside Paris Jackson’s Rock 'n' Roll Beauty Diary at the Dior Party in L.A.," 15 Mar. 2018 And when Marjorie Prime, still working out a fraught relationship with her daughter, streams a favorite song of the younger woman's as a peace offering, what unfolds is one of the most piercing moments in movies this year. — Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter, "Critic's Notebook: In 'Marjorie Prime,' Lois Smith Gets Her Greatest Screen Role," 27 Nov. 2017 There are no words to describe the piercing loss Winchester felt on the worst day of his life. — Vahe Gregorian, kansascity, "Forgiveness and faith buoy Chiefs’ James Winchester through murder of his father," 22 Sep. 2017 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 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 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

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

From this summer's obsession with pierced braids to the latest constellation craze, ear and body piercings have never been cooler. — Sue Williamson, Teen Vogue, "15 Dainty Piercing Ideas for Ears and Body," 9 Aug. 2018 Just above them, an empty hole where a piercing once lay. — Emilia Petrarca, The Cut, "Stormy Daniels’s Peep-Toe Pumps Are a Perfect Metaphor for Her 60 Minutes Interview," 26 Mar. 2018 Women have been celebrating their friendships through gift exchange long before Claire’s opened its first piercing station. — Sara Petersen, Vox, "Why do we stop giving meaningful gifts to our friends?," 3 Dec. 2018 Worn in a modern way, with dangling stones hanging from multiple piercings and a sleek necklace draped down her back, the jewels were a final touch of elegance that made the entire look unforgettable. — Janelle Okwodu, Vogue, "Gigi Hadid Delivers ’90s Supermodel Glamour at the Pirelli Calendar Launch Party in Milan," 6 Dec. 2018 The two-story market sells fruit, vegetables, dry goods, and meat on the first floor; the second floor has a hippy-dippy bent, with incense, henna tattoos, piercings, and woven backpacks. — Scarlett Lindeman, Condé Nast Traveler, "13 Best Markets in Mexico City," 5 Mar. 2018 According to my mother, a baby nurse at the hospital administered the piercing using an ice cube and a needle. — Patricia Garcia, Vogue, "Kylie Jenner Sparks a Cultural Debate: Is Stormi Too Young for Pierced Ears?," 19 July 2018 Its front end was smashed, and a woman dressed in black, wearing a G.G. Allin T-shirt, chunky boots and a trail of lip piercings, got out. — Christopher Borrelli, chicagotribune.com, "Cartoonist Carol Tyler recounts her Beatles-obsessed childhood in Chicago," 15 June 2018 To avoid infection and other complications, the AAP recommends having a medical professional perform a piercing, using rubbing alcohol or some form of disinfectant. — PEOPLE.com, "Kylie Jenner Pierces 5-Month-Old Daughter Stormi's Ears: How Safe Is the Procedure for Babies?," 12 July 2018

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.