1
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
2
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
1
as in penetrating
to go or come in or into
thoughts of revenge relentlessly pierced her mind
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in drilling
to make a hole or series of holes in
pierced his ears with a needle
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
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
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of piercing
Kristy Alpert, Travel + Leisure, 28 Nov. 2025
And somehow, though a mother’s grief has got to be the most piercing emotion in the world, what Mescal tells us about a man’s grief ends up having more weight.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 27 Nov. 2025
Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 7 May 2026
When used correctly, that power can be harnessed for good, heightening the citrus fruit’s bright, piercing notes to soaring new heights.
—Jesse Szewczyk, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for piercing
Adjective
Its piercing alarm is activated with the simple press of a button, which also turns on flashing strobe lights.
—Kristy Alpert, Travel + Leisure, 28 Nov. 2025
And somehow, though a mother’s grief has got to be the most piercing emotion in the world, what Mescal tells us about a man’s grief ends up having more weight.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 27 Nov. 2025
Verb
In Inverted Tree, Man for Hire (2004), for example, the trunk of a wily branched tree bears a piercing gaze.
—Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 7 May 2026
When used correctly, that power can be harnessed for good, heightening the citrus fruit’s bright, piercing notes to soaring new heights.
—Jesse Szewczyk, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for piercing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for piercing
Adjective
-
Netflix’s big comedy bet might be the Dan Levy–Rachel Sennott co-creation Big Mistakes; the biting, farcical series about adult siblings who get caught up in the drug business plays like Weeds crossed with The Other Two.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
2 May 2026
-
The tracks are more vulnerable, biting, and self-aware than ever, and in some cases, feature lyrics pulled right out of Hjelt’s diary.—
Charisma Madarang,
Rolling Stone,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
At that point, a loud drum fill announces itself, snarling electric guitars kick in and McCartney’s trademark howls of old arrive in time for a fairly kick-ass chorus.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
23 May 2026
-
Lacking any sort of thematic heft to make the proceedings truly spooky, proficient helmer Ovredal mainly relies on a series of jump scares, complete with sudden loud noises, to keep us on edge.—
Frank Scheck,
HollywoodReporter,
22 May 2026
Verb
-
But corruption penetrating state energy and defense procurement means wartime contracts carry high political risk.—
Ariel Cohen,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
-
Donald’s aggressive, penetrating style differed from the traditional approach used by many interior defenders, who use their bulk to clog running lanes and absorb blockers and raise their arms to try to deflect passes.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Both candidates were the only ones to say California should resume offshore drilling.—
Ben Paviour,
Sacbee.com,
15 May 2026
-
Cape Station entails drilling wells 10,000 feet deep—about 2 miles—and then directionally drilling horizontally another 7,500 feet to create adequately sized reservoirs, and fracking (hydraulic fracturing) the rock to release the flows of water naturally heated to more than 400 degrees.—
Jordan Blum,
Fortune,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Authorities allege Medina was involved in a May 19 stabbing at Narragansett Town Beach as hundreds of teenagers packed the area.—
Louis Casiano,
FOXNews.com,
22 May 2026
-
Also Thursday, Florida is scheduled to execute Richard Knight for the 2000 stabbing deaths of a pregnant woman and her 4-year-old daughter.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
20 May 2026
Adjective
-
But their styles could hardly be more different, and their feud has grown so bitter that their rivals are appealing to voters exhausted by the brawling.—
Greg Bluestein,
AJC.com,
18 May 2026
-
The verdict concludes a dramatic chapter in Musk and Altman’s bitter feud, and paves the way for OpenAI to go public, in one of the largest IPOs expected to date.—
Rachyl Jones,
semafor.com,
18 May 2026
Adjective
-
That doesn’t mean the Avs can’t enjoy themselves, feel pride in an accomplishment or revel in the deafening roar when MacKinnon fired the perfect shot at the perfect time.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
14 May 2026
-
Records say the sound created a deafening roar across Copenhagen.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Both teams were ranked in the top five entering those games.—
Joe Rexrode,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
-
Police in Cambridge, Massachusetts are looking for a man who is suspected of assaulting a student inside a Harvard University dorm Tuesday, and then entering an MIT residence hall without permission soon after.—
Neal Riley,
CBS News,
20 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Piercing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/piercing. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
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