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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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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
Sophia Saifi, CNN Money, 3 Feb. 2026
The dress was a reference to Thierry Mugler’s bold and iconic spring couture 1998 runway show, in which Erica Vanbriel modeled the original nipple piercing dress.
—Alexandra Hildreth, Vogue, 2 Feb. 2026
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
From another ward not too far away, the piercing screams of a patient are audible.
—Sophia Saifi, CNN Money, 3 Feb. 2026
The dress was a reference to Thierry Mugler’s bold and iconic spring couture 1998 runway show, in which Erica Vanbriel modeled the original nipple piercing dress.
—Alexandra Hildreth, Vogue, 2 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for piercing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for piercing
Adjective
-
The Chill Factor Perhaps the most biting statistic of the season so far is the temperature.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Morbidly Jewish finds Raanan at his most biting, acerbic, angry, Jewish, and, as always…loud.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
5 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Emily Brontë’s 1847 novel already established a Gothic world in which the trauma is as loud as the wind on the moors, and Emerald Fennell’s adaptation excises major portions of the book to streamline that atmospheric darkness and ultimate tragedy.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Konstantin, 4, a sociable boy, is often frightened by loud noises and guards, his parents said.—
Mike Hixenbaugh,
NBC news,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Meanwhile, Envision, also due for a 2031 launch, will carry an orbital ground-penetrating radar to provide a complete view of Venus from its inner core to its upper atmosphere.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Primarily, there are beta hydroxy acids (BHAs) courtesy of lipo hydroxy acid (LHA), a deep-penetrating chemical exfoliant that gently sloughs off old, dead cells to reveal brighter, fresher skin.—
Tamim Alnuweiri,
InStyle,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Hurley and his staff had been drilling the team on its areas of weakness as the close calls kept coming.—
Joe Arruda,
Hartford Courant,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Miles came out aggressive, scoring 11 of TCU’s 19 points in the first quarter, including drilling a 3-pointer.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Mohammed Ahmad Hussein al-Halsi was sentenced in 2016 to 18 years behind bars for stabbing elderly women.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Another Jefferson County circuit judge, Jessica Green, last year drew local and national criticism after granting shock probation to a 32-year-old man accused of abducting a mother and two children and stabbing the mother during a bank robbery.—
Monroe Trombly,
Louisville Courier Journal,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Its leader, Tarique Rahman, the son of former prime minister and bitter Hasina rival, the late Khaleda Zia, has since returned to Bangladesh after 17 years of exile and now appears the frontrunner to win.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Their 32 points after 25 games have them one above their Sunday hosts and bitter rivals in 13th place in the Premier League, nine clear of the relegation zone.—
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
From a bungled email prematurely announcing another massive round of layoffs to scrutiny around the company’s $75 million investment in a documentary about the first lady, Amazon heads into its quarterly earnings report next week surrounded by a deafening level of outside noise.—
Annie Palmer,
CNBC,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Young’s ending is greeted with a deafening round of applause.—
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Italy would be allowed to prohibit migrant ships from entering Italian waters for up to 30 days, the Associated Press reported.—
Washington Examiner Staff,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Feb. 2026
-
The footage shows Ragan and another man entering the business armed with guns and pointing them at customers.—
Ivan Taylor,
CBS News,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Piercing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/piercing. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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