piercing 1 of 2

adjective

ˈpir-siŋ How to pronounce piercing (audio)
Definition of piercingnext
1
as in biting
causing intense discomfort to one's skin that light sweater will be no match for the piercing wind outside

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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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

piercing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of pierce
1
as in penetrating
to go or come in or into thoughts of revenge relentlessly pierced her mind

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2
as in drilling
to make a hole or series of holes in pierced his ears with a needle

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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

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of 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 page lists an Austin address that belongs to a tattoo and piercing shop. — Meagan Harris, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026 Different species have evolved different mechanisms for delivering venom, which involves piercing the skin and then pumping venom from a gland or reservoir. — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 13 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for piercing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for piercing
  1. biting
  2. loud
  3. penetrating
  4. drilling
  5. stabbing
  6. bitter
  7. deafening
  8. entering
Adjective
  • Her version is louder and more biting, but never at the sacrifice of the track’s spirit.
    — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 3 Oct. 2026
  • In 2022, Lee County’s Mosquito Control District decided to try aiming radiation at mosquitoes instead, specifically the biting, disease-carrying kind — Aedes aegypti.
    — Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of biting
Adjective
  • Where the movies are big, loud, overpopulated machines, the TV series are full of interesting ideas, weird notions and good comedy and give their characters room to breathe.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The doors finally open Store Manager Patrick McGuinness welcomed customers pushing their shopping carts into the store while leading loud chants, such as spelling out Wegmans letter by letter.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of loud
Verb
  • From the lunar surface, GIMLI will gather data using ground-penetrating radar, seismic sensors and a gravimeter to better understand what's really happening underneath the surface.
    — Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Related Articles Researchers subsequently examined aerial photographs of the area and began conducting noninvasive magnetic and ground-penetrating radar surveys.
    — Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of penetrating
Verb
  • Public-health and environmental advocates have also raised concerns about drilling near communities, including potential air- and water-quality harms.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The strings were installed by drilling holes with hot water, lowering the modules into the ice and allowing the holes to refreeze.
    — Daniella McCahey, The Conversation, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of drilling
Verb
  • On April 21, 2023, Garr was walking up Bridge Street in Drexel Hill when police said Weh brutally attacked him, stabbing and slashing the 15-year-old 11 times.
    — Joe Holden, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The 40-foot homemade boat was overloaded with 64 people, who panicked and jumped overboard after De La Rosa began stabbing people, a Homeland Security Investigations criminal complaint states.
    — David Goodhue October 12, Miami Herald, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of stabbing
Adjective
  • The second episode will examine her interventions on Scottish independence, feminism, free speech, and gender identity, which place her at the heart of increasingly bitter online exchanges.
    — Jake Kanter, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The incident inspired multiple memorial meme coins, forensic scrutiny of video footage, and bitter anti-Waymo sentiment.
    — Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of bitter
Adjective
  • The sound is practically deafening, a loud metallic pang that cuts through the forest’s thick foliage.
    — Taylor Mitchell Brown, New York Times, 3 Oct. 2026
  • By the time Obsession made it to TIFF, the buzz on social media had become deafening.
    — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of deafening
Verb
  • The research fellow also argued that the additional Russian diesel entering global markets is not sufficient to produce a noticeable reduction in consumer fuel prices in the short term.
    — Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Upon entering the school building, Krantz said, officers confirmed that the suspect was dead and found the four other people who died from their injuries, and their families have been notified.
    — Chad de Guzman, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of entering

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Cite this Entry

“Piercing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/piercing. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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