piercing

1 of 2

adjective

pierc·​ing ˈpir-siŋ How to pronounce piercing (audio)
: penetrating: such as
a
: loud, shrill
piercing cries
b
: perceptive
piercing eyes
c
: penetratingly cold : biting
a piercing wind
d
: cutting, incisive
piercing sarcasm
piercingly adverb

piercing

2 of 2

noun

: 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
Adjective
On a separate platform to the right of the action, three male chanters sit in a neat row, next to men playing the shamisen, a stringed instrument with a raw and piercing tone which is often used in vocal accompaniment. Jennifer Homans, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2024 Where is the voice—broken and piercing and fierce—on behalf of these women? Michal Herzog, TIME, 12 July 2024
Noun
Septum and labret piercings decorated the models’ faces, complementing the subtle, glowy makeup. Ranyechi Udemezue, Vogue, 3 Oct. 2024 Where to get Friday the 13th tattoo deals in the Valley Some tattoo parlors in Phoenix, Glendale and Mesa are offering deals on tattoos and piercings on Friday, Sept. 13. The Arizona Republic, 9 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for piercing 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'piercing.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1977, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of piercing was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near piercing

Cite this Entry

“Piercing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/piercing. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

piercing

1 of 2 adjective
pierc·​ing
: having the ability to enter, pierce, or penetrate: as
a
: loud and shrill
piercing screams
b
: perceptive, keen
a piercing glance
c
: very cold
a piercing wind
piercingly
ˈpir-siŋ-lē
adverb

piercing

2 of 2 noun
: a piece of jewelry (as a ring or stud) that is attached to pierced flesh

More from Merriam-Webster on piercing

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!