to pierce

Examples

• All

• Her son's sudden leap pierced her with feelings she had not seen coming.

  Fiction book (1990)

• The profession's message of health and wellness through physical activity seems to have pierced students' understanding.

  Academic text (2005)

• Your time pieces the seconds together, but my seconds pierce me like the points of needles.

  Fiction book (1995)

• A thousand reasons, but mainly because I could not pierce your emotional exoskeleton, no matter how hard I tried.

  A Bag of Hammers (2011)

• At the same time, her laughter continued to pierce me with a sharpness that bristled my nerves.

  Academic text (2007)

• Don't you want to be challenged, pierced with insight, made to laugh... and cry?

  Academic text (2009)

• Together, they dulled the ache that had pierced his breast since birth.

  Fiction book (1990)

• The thought that she might escape pierced Larkin like honed loneliness.

  Fiction book (1994)

• "You're going to miss it here, Ruby," he said, piercing me with his diamond-hard glare.

  Fiction book (1995)

• The news of her departure finally pierced me, leaving me heartbroken.

Synonyms

H

to hit

vsto pierce

978 2.8

To suddenly make someone feel a strong emotion

implies a deeper, sharper emotional or sensory effect

B

to break someone's heart

vsto pierce

• Informal

343 3.4

To make someone very sad because of love or disappointment

is similar but can apply to sensations or nonromantic feelings

S

to stir

vsto pierce

221 3.7

To make someone feel a strong emotion

leans toward a sudden sharp effect rather than mere provocation

M

to move

vsto pierce

105 3.4

Make someone feel strong emotions

tends to be sudden and sharply intense rather than gentle

S

to sting

vsto pierce

26 3.3

To feel sharp emotional pain after someone says something hurtful

in the key sense this pain is often deeper and more affecting

O

to overtake

vsto pierce

22 5.1

To suddenly have a strong feeling that you cannot control

is similar but focuses on deep sharp impact rather than loss of control

P

to prick

vsto pierce

14 4.7

To cause a small sharp pain like a sting

is usually deeper and more powerful rather than small twinges

P

to penetrate

vsto pierce

7 6.4

Understand the true meaning or nature of something

focuses more on sharp sudden sensation than careful understanding

H

to hit like a ton of bricks

vsto pierce

• Informal

4 8.0

To feel a sudden strong shock or surprise

highlights deep sharp emotion rather than just sudden realization

S

to smite

vsto pierce

• Archaic

2 9.4

Feel sudden, strong love or desire for someone

is broader, affecting any emotion or sensation deeply and sharply

T

to touch a chord

vsto pierce

• Informal

2 5.8

To make a person feel a strong emotion

is usually deeper and sharper not only familiar resonance

R

to resonate deeply

vsto pierce

2 6.4

To make someone feel a strong personal connection

is more about sudden sharp impact than gradual personal meaning

P

to pull at heartstrings

vsto pierce

• Informal

1 5.3

Make people feel deep sadness or pity

is broader, also covering sudden sharp sensations beyond sadness

H

to have a sting

vsto pierce

1 7.1

To cause a sharp feeling of hurt that lasts for a while

focuses on depth and suddenness rather than lasting discomfort

H

to hit like a lightning bolt

vsto pierce

1 8.2

To feel sudden shock or surprise

places emphasis on deep sharp feeling not only shock

H

to hit like a tidal wave

vsto pierce

1 7.3

To suddenly feel a very strong emotion that you cannot control

means deep sharp effect but can be smaller or slower

S

to shock the hell out of someone

vsto pierce

• Informal

8.1

To surprise someone suddenly and very strongly

tends to affect emotions deeply rather than only shocking surprise

Antonyms

C

to calm

∞ 1.0

Make a person or animal less upset

C

to comfort

172 1.0

To make someone feel less upset or in pain

Phrasal Verbs

P

to pierce through

9 4.4

Move into and through something by making a hole or gap

P

to pierce through the silence

7.1

A sudden sound, like a scream, that breaks the quiet

How Deep

to devastate

256 4.9

to wound

10 5.7

to pierce

7 4.6

to disturb

42 2.5

to touch

250 2.9

to move

105 3.4

Surface Forms

Etymology