penetrating

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpɛnɪtɹeɪtɪŋ/

• Audio (US):

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• Hyphenation: pen‧e‧trat‧ing

Adjective

penetrating (comparative more penetrating, superlative most penetrating)

1. Able to pierce or penetrate

   The skunk produces a penetrating odor.

   • 1958 February, David Gunston, “Railways on the Screen”, in Railway Magazine, page 89:

     As the rest of the film was made on location in the railway yards of Havre and not in a studio, and was given a sound-track of penetrating vividness, this whole production gives the closest possible ring of truth of any film about railways.

2. Looking deeply into; piercing

   He had a very penetrating pair of brown eyes.

3. Demonstrating acute or keen understanding

   His novel shows a penetrating insight into the criminal mind.

Derived terms

• nonpenetrating
• penetratingly
• penetratingness
• unpenetrating

Translations

able to pierce or penetrate

• Bulgarian: проникващ (bg) (pronikvašt), пронизващ (bg) (pronizvašt)
• Finnish: läpitunkeva, viiltävä (fi)
• French: pénétrant (fr)
• Greek: διαπεραστικός (el) (diaperastikós)
• Irish: tolltach
• Latin: penetrālis
• Macedonian: про́дорен (pródoren), про́бивен (próbiven)
• Māori: tīwharawhara (of a voice)
• Persian: نافذ (fa) (nâfez)
• Ukrainian: прони́кливий (pronýklyvyj)
• Welsh: treiddgar, treiddiol

demonstrating keen understanding

• Bulgarian: проницателен (bg) (pronicatelen)
• Dutch: indringend (nl)
• Finnish: viiltävä (fi), syvällinen (fi)
• Macedonian: про́никлив (prónikliv)
• Ukrainian: прони́кливий (pronýklyvyj)
• Welsh: treiddgar, craff (cy)

Verb

penetrating

1. present participle and gerund of penetrate

Anagrams

• repatenting