 piercing |
||
| 1. | [ adjective ] suitable for cutting or piercing | |
| Synonyms: | incisive | |
| Examples: | "incisive teeth" "the piercing needle" |
|
| Related terms: | sharp | |
| 2. | [ adjective ] as physically painful as if caused by a sharp instrument | |
| Synonyms: | keen knifelike stabbing cutting | |
| Examples: | "a cutting wind" "keen winds" "knifelike cold" "piercing knifelike pains" "piercing cold" "piercing criticism" "a stabbing pain" "lancinating pain" |
|
| Related terms: | sharp | |
| 3. | [ adjective ] high-pitched and sharp | |
| Synonyms: | shrill sharp | |
| Examples: | "piercing screams" "a shrill whistle" |
|
| Related terms: | high | |
| 4. | [ adjective ] having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions | |
| Synonyms: | sharp keen penetrating incisive acute knifelike penetrative discriminating | |
| Examples: | "an acute observer of politics and politicians" "incisive comments" "icy knifelike reasoning" "as sharp and incisive as the stroke of a fang" "penetrating insight" |
|
| Related terms: | perceptive | |
| 5. | [ adjective ] as physically painful as if caused by a sharp instrument | |
| Synonyms: | keen knifelike lancinate lancinating stabbing cutting | |
| Examples: | "a cutting wind" "keen winds" "knifelike cold" "piercing knifelike pains" "piercing cold" "piercing criticism" "a stabbing pain" "lancinating pain" |
|
| Related terms: | sharp | |
| 6. | [ adjective ] loud and sharp | |
| Examples: | "the piercing shriek of sirens" |
|
| Related terms: | cacophonous | |
| Similar spelling: |
piercingly Pierson |
|
