Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

piercing

1 adjective
     
pierc‧ing1
1

eyes/look

literary someone with piercing eyes is looking at you and seems to know what you are thinking:
There was mockery now in those piercing blue eyes.
She felt foolish and unsure under his piercing gaze.
He gave her a piercing look.
2

sound

a sound that is piercing is high, sharp, and unpleasant:
He grinned and let out a piercing whistle.
a piercing scream
3

wind

a piercing wind is very cold
4

pain

causing a lot of pain:
She felt a piercing sensation in her arm.
5

emotion

[only before noun] affecting your feelings very deeply in a sad way:
a piercing moment of regret
—piercingly adverb:
It was piercingly cold.
She looked at him piercingly.
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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