penetrating
Americanadjective
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.
Less-lethal munitions such as beanbag rounds are designed to spread the force of impact over a larger area, without penetrating the skin, offering officers an alternative to bullets when defending against threats.
From Los Angeles Times
The man stopped his spinning and looked up at me with pale, penetrating eyes.
From Literature
To study its terrain, scientists must rely on radar imaging capable of penetrating the cloud layer.
From Science Daily
They will see a building dedicated to James T. Kirk; they will hear hints of the original theme music penetrating the soundtrack.
He died of a heart attack at 37, leaving behind pieces on pop culture that also functioned as penetrating social critique.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
