ear-piercing

[ eer-peer-sing ]

adjective

1. extremely harsh and irritating to the ear:

   ear-piercing noise.

ear piercing

noun

1. the making of a hole in the lobe of an ear, using a sterilized needle, so that an earring may be worn fastened in the hole

adjective

1. so loud or shrill as to hurt the ears

Word History and Origins

Origin of ear-piercing¹

First recorded in 1595–1605

Example Sentences

It could also be called a song cycle that employs ear-piercing rock and, for respite, a welcoming string quartet.

From Los Angeles Times

And he’s not referring to the ear-piercing, 130-decibel sound coming from his Red Bull Racing 20 car.

From Los Angeles Times

Anyone trying to re-create the 1980s mall experience would need the scents of Cinnabon and multiplex popcorn, the sound of someone at the keyboard in the organ store, food courts, frozen yogurt, free ear-piercing with purchase, mall Santas, ball pits and sing-alongs, Footlocker stores, fountains, Hammacher Schlemmer storefronts, a Bloomie’s or Penney’s or Macy’s, and vast acres of parking — enough, like the Puente Hills mall, for you and your DeLorean to experiment with time travel.

From Los Angeles Times

Seldom have 58,000 people, uniformly this vocally delighted and expressive, produced such an ear-piercing sound.

From Los Angeles Times

Trump, however, is clearly afraid, as the increasingly ear-piercing decibel levels of his whining demonstrate.

From Salon

Related Words

• big
• boisterous
• deafening
• emphatic
• heavy
• intense
• lusty
• powerful
• rambunctious
• raucous
• resounding
• ringing
• roaring
• rowdy
• strident
• strong
• thundering
• vehement
• vociferous