: a piece of jewelry (such as a ring or stud) that is attached to pierced flesh
Examples of piercing in a Sentence
Adjective
She looked at me with piercing eyes, and I was suddenly frightened that she knew what I had done.
I tried to avoid his piercing stare.
She felt a piercing sadness when she heard the news.
Noun
There's a small shop in town where they do tattooing and body piercing.
She got another ear piercing.
Recent Examples on the Web
Claudia Levens, jsonline.com, 3 Mar. 2026
Mars merging with Pluto can hit you with a piercing moment of honesty.
—Usa Today, USA Today, 27 Jan. 2026
Panashe Matemba-Mutasa, Mercury News, 7 Apr. 2026
During aging, the cheese's flavor deepens, and regular piercing—a technique where metal rods or needles are inserted into the cheese—helps air circulate through the cheese, promoting mold growth.
—Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for piercing
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.
Adjective
The ping of pickleball play produces a uniquely piercing and repetitive sound that has led to contentious lawsuits and controversies across the entire country, including just north in Fox Point, as the sport has rapidly grown in popularity over the last few years.
—Claudia Levens, jsonline.com, 3 Mar. 2026
Mars merging with Pluto can hit you with a piercing moment of honesty.
—Usa Today, USA Today, 27 Jan. 2026
Noun
Kelly Keller, 62, grew up in a household where even ear piercings came with boundaries.
—Panashe Matemba-Mutasa, Mercury News, 7 Apr. 2026
During aging, the cheese's flavor deepens, and regular piercing—a technique where metal rods or needles are inserted into the cheese—helps air circulate through the cheese, promoting mold growth.
—Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for piercing
Cite this Entry
“Piercing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/piercing. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
