penetrating

American

[pen-i-trey-ting] / ˈpɛn ɪˌtreɪ tɪŋ /

adjective

able or tending to penetrate; piercing; sharp: a penetrating glance.

a penetrating shriek;
a penetrating glance.
acute; discerning.

a penetrating observation.

Synonyms:

sharp, keen

Antonyms:

obtuse
Surgery. noting a wound that pierces the skin, especially a deep wound entering an organ or body cavity.

penetrating British

/ ˈpɛnɪˌtreɪtɪŋ /

adjective

tending to or able to penetrate

a penetrating mind
a penetrating voice

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Related Words

See acute.

Other Word Forms

nonpenetrating adjective
penetratingly adverb
penetratingness noun
unpenetrating adjective
unpenetratingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of penetrating

First recorded in 1590–1600; penetrat(e) + -ing ²

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

By 2000 we had fielded the first generation of precision standoff weapons and further honed our missile defenses, electronic attack, and penetrating stealth capability.

From The Wall Street Journal

There are many ways to portray authoritarianism, but “Two Prosecutors” is penetrating in its depiction of a society being slowly poisoned.

From Los Angeles Times

My expression is inscrutable but penetrating, hard but not brittle.

From Literature

Ms. Davidsen’s soprano is both beautiful and brilliantly penetrating; she can also sing softly and still be heard.

From The Wall Street Journal

What is meant to be the most penetrating display of contemporary American art leaves one with a grim view of the state of creativity today.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023