piercingly

adverb

as in sharply

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

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 piercingly Chef Steven Pham is still simmering his signature Northern Vietnamese-style pho ga, which features a soul-piercingly clear broth, tender poached chicken, rice noodles, and a floating raft of fresh herbs. — Becky Duffett, Bon Appetit Magazine, 8 June 2026 The Towode Door Stop Alarm is a budget-friendly, highly effective safety tool that functions as a wedge door stop and a piercingly loud alarm when activated. — Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 31 May 2026 In the opening keynote, president of public broadcaster Arte France Bruno Patino provided a bleak yet piercingly precise evaluation of the industry today. — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 17 Mar. 2026 Perched along the Dalton Highway and north of the Arctic Circle, Coldfoot has virtually no light pollution, piercingly clear winter nights, and a reputation among aurora chasers for its reliable solar shows. — Sarah Buder, AFAR Media, 9 Mar. 2026 His lashes are long, the eyes deep-set, large and intense, staring piercingly into you. — Touré, Rolling Stone, 14 Oct. 2025 How could the woman who wrote so piercingly about women’s subjugation subjugate herself to not just one but two men? — Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for piercingly
  1. sharply
  2. poignantly
  3. acutely
  4. harshly
  5. keenly
  6. darkly
  7. distressingly
  8. blackly
Adverb
  • Other South China Sea claimant states use the ruling to justify their own actions—and are sharply denounced by China each time.
    — Jill Goldenziel, Forbes.com, 30 July 2026
  • Stock market futures were positive following the report while Treasury yields were sharply higher.
    — Jeff Cox, CNBC, 30 July 2026
Definition of sharply
Adverb
  • The reunion, poignantly, took place at Charles’s country home, Highgrove House, where Harry spent much of his childhood.
    — Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 16 July 2026
  • As Ethan, Stock was as perversely alienating as he was poignantly alienated.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
Definition of poignantly
Adverb
  • Pre-workout supplements increase energy and athletic performance acutely, while collagen strengthens connective tissue and helps prevent injury over time.
    — Megan Nunn, Verywell Health, 29 July 2026
  • Trump is acutely aware of the political pressures Netanyahu faces ahead of Israel’s national election in October, according to officials, and knows his support for the prime minister could be critical.
    — Kevin Liptak, CNN Money, 28 July 2026
Definition of acutely
Adverb
  • Like other senior bankers, Sehnaoui was harshly criticized following Lebanon's historic economic meltdown in 2019, when most people lost access to their money.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 29 July 2026
  • He was fired, a little harshly, in May 2021 after one season, having delivered a Coppa Italia to go with a fourth-place finish.
    — James Horncastle, New York Times, 28 July 2026
Definition of harshly
Adverb
  • Concentrated in Russia's largest cities, analysts have watched keenly for any hint of dissent from this social strata.
    — David Brennan, ABC News, 17 July 2026
  • Users should also be keenly aware at some potentially hazardous crossings at major intersections, especially at Kendall Drive and the exit ramp for State Road 878.
    — Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 16 July 2026
Definition of keenly
Adverb
  • This is a weird movie but also kind of darkly beautiful other than the CGI fox which kind of took me out of the experience.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026
  • But Ferguson was also smart and darkly funny and outlandishly charismatic.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 July 2026
Definition of darkly
Adverb
  • The movie’s strongest sequences provide the all-too-rare sensation of truly not being able to believe your eyes, as the film’s most fantastical elements feel distressingly real.
    — Tiffany Kelly, Entertainment Weekly, 17 July 2026
  • The event was halted after an hour due to fears about her safety, which distressingly encapsulates a tension that the trans Mayan artist has navigated for years.
    — Eugenie Brinkema, ARTnews.com, 14 June 2026
Definition of distressingly
Adverb
  • What at first appears to be a run-of-the-mill trauma drama about a family dealing with the eldest child’s anorexia nervosa gradually evolves into something odder and more original, even blackly comic, in Ungrateful Beings.
    — Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 25 Sep. 2025
  • Saadawi’s unabashedly political, blackly funny contemporary take on the mythos (superb translated by Jonathan Wright, who captures the wry humor and brooding, ominous rhythms of Saadawi’s dark tale) is, however, a true standout in a very crowded field.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 July 2024
Definition of blackly

Browse Nearby Words

piercing
piercingly
pier glass
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Piercingly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/piercingly. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All