penetrating
Able to pierce or penetrate
Example
“The skunk produces a penetrating odor.”
Other meanings
Looking deeply into; piercing
“He had a very penetrating pair of brown eyes.”
Demonstrating acute or keen understanding
“His novel shows a penetrating insight into the criminal mind.”
Synonyms
- acute
- keen
- piercing
- sharp
Related words
- nonpenetrating
- penetratingly
- penetratingness
- unpenetrating
Where this comes from
This definition is adapted from “penetrating” on Wiktionary, by its contributors; related-word lists use Open English WordNet (CC BY 4.0, based on Princeton WordNet), published under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page is published under the same licence.