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

∞ 2.8

To suddenly make someone feel a strong emotion

implies a deeper, sharper emotional or sensory effect

M

to move

vsto pierce

668 3.4

Make someone feel strong emotions

tends to be sudden and sharply intense rather than gentle

S

to stir

vsto pierce

131 3.7

To make someone feel a strong emotion

leans toward a sudden sharp effect rather than mere provocation

P

to penetrate

vsto pierce

36 6.4

Understand the true meaning or nature of something

focuses more on sharp sudden sensation than careful understanding

B

to break someone's heart

vsto pierce

• Informal

34 3.4

To make someone very sad because of love or disappointment

is similar but can apply to sensations or nonromantic feelings

O

to overtake

vsto pierce

29 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

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

S

to smite

vsto pierce

• Archaic

19 9.4

Feel sudden, strong love or desire for someone

is broader, affecting any emotion or sensation deeply and sharply

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

S

to shock the hell out of someone

vsto pierce

• Informal

2 8.1

To surprise someone suddenly and very strongly

tends to affect emotions deeply rather than only shocking surprise

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

1 6.4

To make someone feel a strong personal connection

is more about sudden sharp impact than gradual personal meaning

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 ton of bricks

vsto pierce

• Informal

1 8.0

To feel a sudden strong shock or surprise

highlights deep sharp emotion rather than just sudden realization

H

to hit like a lightning bolt

vsto pierce

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

7.3

To suddenly feel a very strong emotion that you cannot control

means deep sharp effect but can be smaller or slower

P

to pull at heartstrings

vsto pierce

• Informal

5.3

Make people feel deep sadness or pity

is broader, also covering sudden sharp sensations beyond sadness

Antonyms

C

to calm

962 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

3 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

221 4.9

to wound

110 5.7

to pierce

28 4.6

to disturb

153 2.5

to touch

680 2.9

to move

668 3.4

Surface Forms

Etymology