piercing

/ˈpɪrsɪŋ/
verb
  1. Present participle of pierce; making a hole through something with a sharp point.
    • The arrow was piercing the target dead center.
    • The needle was piercing the fabric smoothly.
    • He is piercing the leather to make a belt.
  2. Figuratively, penetrating or breaking through something, such as silence or darkness.
    • Her voice was piercing the noise of the crowd.
    • A loud scream was piercing the quiet night.
    • Sunlight was piercing the thick clouds after the storm.
noun
  1. The act or practice of making a hole in a part of the body to insert jewelry.
    • She decided to get a nose piercing for her birthday.
    • He went to a professional studio for his ear piercing.
    • The piercing took only a few seconds but hurt a little.
  2. A hole made in the body for jewelry, or the jewelry itself.
    • Her new piercing was a small silver ring in her eyebrow.
    • The piercing healed quickly because she cleaned it every day.
    • He showed off his tongue piercing to his friends.
adjective
  1. Very sharp, loud, or intense, especially in a way that is uncomfortable or hard to ignore.
    • His piercing gaze made me feel like he could see right through me.
    • The piercing sound of the alarm woke everyone up.
    • She felt a piercing pain in her side after running too fast.
  2. Very cold or biting, especially wind or weather.
    • They huddled together to escape the piercing cold of the winter night.
    • A piercing wind cut through their coats as they walked home.
    • The morning air was so piercing that it made my eyes water.
  3. Very perceptive or insightful, often in a way that seems to see hidden truths.
    • The detective had a piercing intelligence that solved the case quickly.
    • He gave a piercing analysis of the political situation.
    • Her piercing comments revealed the flaws in the plan.
Antonyms
What does "piercing" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean