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
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
Kristy Alpert, Travel + Leisure, 28 Nov. 2025
And somehow, though a mother’s grief has got to be the most piercing emotion in the world, what Mescal tells us about a man’s grief ends up having more weight.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 27 Nov. 2025
Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 7 May 2026
When used correctly, that power can be harnessed for good, heightening the citrus fruit’s bright, piercing notes to soaring new heights.
—Jesse Szewczyk, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for piercing
Adjective
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
And somehow, though a mother’s grief has got to be the most piercing emotion in the world, what Mescal tells us about a man’s grief ends up having more weight.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 27 Nov. 2025
Verb
In Inverted Tree, Man for Hire (2004), for example, the trunk of a wily branched tree bears a piercing gaze.
—Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 7 May 2026
When used correctly, that power can be harnessed for good, heightening the citrus fruit’s bright, piercing notes to soaring new heights.
—Jesse Szewczyk, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for piercing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for piercing
Adjective
-
Netflix’s big comedy bet might be the Dan Levy–Rachel Sennott co-creation Big Mistakes; the biting, farcical series about adult siblings who get caught up in the drug business plays like Weeds crossed with The Other Two.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
2 May 2026
-
The tracks are more vulnerable, biting, and self-aware than ever, and in some cases, feature lyrics pulled right out of Hjelt’s diary.—
Charisma Madarang,
Rolling Stone,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Consider, too, the iconic venue of Arrowhead, boasting the Guinness World Record for world’s loudest stadium.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
15 May 2026
-
And the consequences of speaking up are rarely loud enough to point to.—
Vibhas Ratanjee,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Largely forgotten for decades, the grave site was discovered by historians and geologists using ground-penetrating radar.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 May 2026
-
Meanwhile, criminal organizations are increasingly penetrating the state institutions meant to stop them.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
Both candidates were the only ones to say California should resume offshore drilling.—
Ben Paviour,
Sacbee.com,
15 May 2026
-
Cape Station entails drilling wells 10,000 feet deep—about 2 miles—and then directionally drilling horizontally another 7,500 feet to create adequately sized reservoirs, and fracking (hydraulic fracturing) the rock to release the flows of water naturally heated to more than 400 degrees.—
Jordan Blum,
Fortune,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Authorities were hunting for three days for the suspect after a gruesome late-night stabbing murder on Sunday in a laundry room in the Nordheim Court apartments.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
14 May 2026
-
An Alhambra man faces a possible 24-year prison sentence for fatally stabbing a 17-year-old boy waiting for his mother and for trying to kill a man, both in El Sereno, three years ago.—
Ruby Gonzales,
Daily News,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
But their styles could hardly be more different, and their feud has grown so bitter that their rivals are appealing to voters exhausted by the brawling.—
Greg Bluestein,
AJC.com,
18 May 2026
-
The verdict concludes a dramatic chapter in Musk and Altman’s bitter feud, and paves the way for OpenAI to go public, in one of the largest IPOs expected to date.—
Rachyl Jones,
semafor.com,
18 May 2026
Adjective
-
That doesn’t mean the Avs can’t enjoy themselves, feel pride in an accomplishment or revel in the deafening roar when MacKinnon fired the perfect shot at the perfect time.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
14 May 2026
-
Records say the sound created a deafening roar across Copenhagen.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The trend does not bode well for Massie, who has won every primary challenge since entering Congress with over 70% of the vote.—
Molly Parks,
The Washington Examiner,
13 May 2026
-
In Season 2, the stakes are upped as the battle for the Central South West television franchise reaches a fever pitch, with the war between Corinium and Venturer entering a dangerous phase.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Piercing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/piercing. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
