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
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Recent Examples of piercing
Rolling Stone, 29 Dec. 2025
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
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 3 June 2026
When North was first spotted with a dermal piercing on her hand in September 2025, fans were quick to call out Kardashian for allowing her preteen daughter to undergo body modifications.
—Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 1 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for piercing
Adjective
Tyler, the Creator’s Don’t Tap the Glass, ironically, is the least piercing and the most hedonistic, by design.
—Rolling Stone, 29 Dec. 2025
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
Verb
The county medical examiner said in an autopsy report that Obumseli, who worked in cryptocurrency, died from a forceful downward thrust from a blade that went three inches into his chest, piercing a major artery.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 3 June 2026
When North was first spotted with a dermal piercing on her hand in September 2025, fans were quick to call out Kardashian for allowing her preteen daughter to undergo body modifications.
—Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 1 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for piercing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for piercing
Adjective
-
So Google isn’t trying to release more biting mosquitoes into neighborhoods.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
12 June 2026
-
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
Adjective
-
While the first two seasons often presented Lestat through structured tailoring and muted palettes, Season 3 arrives in a much louder world.—
Precious Fondren,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2026
-
They were all met with loud cheers on this Juneteenth evening.—
Marlow Stern,
Variety,
20 June 2026
Verb
-
Many sails may prevent harmful UV rays from penetrating, while others may be more decorative.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
19 June 2026
-
Sunscreens need to be able to block those rays from penetrating the skin.—
Guy German,
The Conversation,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
The crisis was certainly good for oil companies, but the really booming corner of the business was trading, not drilling; European majors outshone their US competitors in first-quarter earnings because of their robust trading desks.—
Tim McDonnell,
semafor.com,
18 June 2026
-
About 25,000 gallons of crude oil spilled into the Los Angeles River on May 22 after construction crews damaged a 16-inch pipeline while drilling for a fiber optic line near Cesar Chavez and Eastern Avenues, according to AQMD.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
He was tried, convicted and sentenced to 35 years behind bars earlier this month for stabbing and killing 17-year-old Austin Metcalf at a high school track meet in Frisco, Texas.—
Kelsie Cairns,
FOXNews.com,
19 June 2026
-
He was sentenced to life in prison in 1994 for manslaughter, after fatally stabbing a man during a fight.—
Meredith Deliso,
ABC News,
19 June 2026
Adjective
-
The ruling adds to a string of legal setbacks for Musk in his increasingly bitter feud with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
15 June 2026
-
While this winter was colder and snowier than previous years, snowfall on the ground acted much like a blanket for ticks, providing shelter and warmth against the bitter cold temperatures.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
15 June 2026
Adjective
-
The bear was almost on top of us when, with a deafening roar, the shot from both barrels smacked into that enormous shaggy head.—
Anton Money,
Outdoor Life,
4 June 2026
-
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
Verb
-
Neighbors said the victim was a condo board president who blocked the suspect from entering the complex to protect a tenant in the building before he was fatally shot.—
Jeramie Bizzle,
CBS News,
17 June 2026
-
Those sites were designed to look real enough to trick people into entering credit card details, passwords or other sensitive information.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
17 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Piercing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/piercing. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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