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
Joel Lorenzi, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025
My piercing call seemed absorbed by the heavy moisture, trapping even the echo I’d been accustomed to hearing.
—Jim Tschetter, Outdoor Life, 27 Aug. 2025
Rolling Stone, 29 Dec. 2025
Archer’s tail was up and a piercing combination of line, length and pace had Marnus Labuschagne in trouble with an edge which bounced short of Joe Root at first slip.
—Tim Spiers, New York Times, 17 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for piercing
Adjective
And on Saturday, another bout with foul trouble left him with a permanently piercing scowl.
—Joel Lorenzi, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025
My piercing call seemed absorbed by the heavy moisture, trapping even the echo I’d been accustomed to hearing.
—Jim Tschetter, Outdoor Life, 27 Aug. 2025
Verb
Wednesday and Craig Finn told their heart-piercing stories about ordinary people trying to hold on.
—Rolling Stone, 29 Dec. 2025
Archer’s tail was up and a piercing combination of line, length and pace had Marnus Labuschagne in trouble with an edge which bounced short of Joe Root at first slip.
—Tim Spiers, New York Times, 17 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for piercing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for piercing
Adjective
-
Morbidly Jewish finds Raanan at his most biting, acerbic, angry, Jewish, and, as always…loud.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
5 Jan. 2026
-
The conservative activist’s 42-minute video posted the day after Christmas quickly spread, prompting stepped up immigration enforcement, frozen federal funds and more biting rhetoric against the Somali community from President Donald Trump.—
Rebekah Riess,
CNN Money,
2 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Their noise got loudest at night when the city became quiet.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Nov. 2025
-
Sports radio can be loud and raucous, blaring with bluster and bellowing.—
Scott Simon,
NPR,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
His company, Echo, sidesteps the problem, using not a chip with probes, but a thin film that sits on the brain without penetrating it.—
Jeffrey Kluger,
Time,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Ask penetrating questions, examine key assumptions, search for pivotal turning points, and consider multicausal explanations of events and developments.—
John T. Shaw,
Twin Cities,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Dëmin finally stopped the bleeding out of the huddle, drilling a left-corner 3 to give Brooklyn a pulse, but the climb was steep from there.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
10 Jan. 2026
-
Energy experts say this trend shows how sharply the US and China are diverging on the energy transition, with China sprinting far ahead on renewables and EVs, while the US doubles down on drilling oil at home and abroad.—
Ella Nilsen,
CNN Money,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Later that month, another jury said Rafael Andres should be sent back to Florida’s Death Row for beating, stabbing and strangling a La Carreta waitress with a rice cooker cord in 2005.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Cincinnati crime fell under the microscope after the viral brawl in July and the stabbing death of an Over-the-Rhine resident and business owner in his own home.—
Scott Wartman,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
He was chosen as commissioner in October 1989 over New Orleans general manager Jim Finks after a bitter fight highlighting the differences between the NFL's old guard and newer owners.—
NPR,
NPR,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Arugula Arugula is an aromatic, slightly bitter leafy green.—
Lauren O'Connor,
Health,
9 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
My mind is capable of one word, one that’s all too familiar to me at this point in my life, but this time it’s amplified to an unprecedented and deafening level: panic panic panic.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Dec. 2025
-
But the film’s eventual record-breaking success was a deafening rebuttal from his loyal fanbase.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
While interviewing the mayor, a vehicle was seen entering the property after the gate was opened.—
Nina Burns,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Video surveillance footage showed the two men entering a shower, according to the affidavit.—
Lori Dunn,
Arkansas Online,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Piercing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/piercing. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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