pierce

pierce — verb

1. to drive something sharp into a surface or right through it, so that a small hol

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveB2
Definition

to drive something sharp into a surface or right through it, so that a small hole is left.

Example

The thorn pierced Eva's glove and cut her finger.

pattern: pierce + body part

A silver needle pierced the cloth near the jacket pocket.

pattern: pierce + material

Common collocations
  • pierce the skin
  • pierce the cloth
  • pierce an ear
  • pierce through the shield
  • pierce a boot sole
Synonyms
  • puncture

    focuses on making a hole, often a small one

  • stab

    more violent and especially used for attacking a person or animal

  • penetrate

    more formal and often stresses going deeply or fully through

  • prick

    used for a small, quick touch with a sharp point

Grammar Patterns

pierce + noun

pierce through + noun

Usage Note

Often takes objects such as skin, cloth, metal, or a body part. With 'through', the focus is on passing from one side to the other; sense 3 is broader and stresses getting past resistance or a barrier.

Common Mistakes

The thorn pierced to her skin.
The thorn pierced her skin.
'pierce' normally takes the thing entered as a direct object.
The nurse pierced the needle into his arm.
The nurse pierced his arm with the needle.
the object after 'pierce' is usually the surface or body part, not the tool.

2. if a light or sound pierces dark, fog, smoke, or noise, people notice it at once

2.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

if a light or sound pierces dark, fog, smoke, or noise, people notice it at once because it comes through clearly.

Example

A police siren pierced the silence before sunrise.

collocation: pierce the quiet

One white beam pierced the smoke above the stage.

light cutting through smoke

Common collocations
  • pierce the silence
  • pierce the fog
  • pierce the smoke
  • pierce the dark
  • pierce the noise
Synonyms
Antonyms
  • fade

    to become weaker and less easy to notice

  • be muffled

    used when a sound does not come through clearly

Grammar Patterns

pierce + darkness/fog/smoke

pierce + silence/noise

Usage Note

The subject is usually a beam, light, cry, bell, or siren. The object often names what blocks clear sight or sound, such as darkness, fog, smoke, noise, or silence.

Common Mistakes

The radio pierced in the kitchen.
The radio music pierced the silence in the kitchen.
this sense usually needs an object showing what the sound comes through.
The lamp pierced the wall.
The lamp's beam pierced the fog outside.
this sense is about light or sound coming through clearly, not making a physical hole.

3. to get past something that blocks movement by breaking through it or opening a p

3.verbtransitive / intransitiveC1
Definition

to get past something that blocks movement by breaking through it or opening a path.

Example

The hiking team pierced the thick forest by noon.

pattern: pierce + area

By sunset, the soldiers had pierced enemy lines.

collocation: pierce enemy lines

Common collocations
  • pierce the forest
  • pierce enemy lines
  • pierce through the ice
  • pierce through the crowd
  • pierce a barrier
Synonyms
  • break through

    emphasizes overcoming resistance or a barrier

  • push through

    more informal and suggests steady effort

  • penetrate

    more formal, especially in military or technical writing

Grammar Patterns

pierce + barrier

pierce through + barrier

Usage Note

Often used with subjects that move or spread, such as people, boats, roads, or roots, and with objects that act as barriers, such as forest, ice, lines, or crowds. Distinguish from sense 1, where a sharp point simply enters or goes through a surface.

Common Mistakes

The runners pierced to the crowd.
The runners pierced through the crowd.
with a moving barrier like a crowd, 'through' is the natural pattern.
The path pierced in the woods.
The path pierced the woods.
this sense usually takes the barrier or area as a direct object.

Word family

  • piercing
    adjectiveC1
  • piercingly
    adverbC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

For sense 1, 'pierce' is a general word for a sharp thing going into something or passing all the way through it. 'Puncture' focuses more on the hole that is made, often a small one in a tire, balloon, or skin. 'Stab' is more violent and is usually used when a person or animal is attacked with a knife or similar object. 'Penetrate' is more formal and often stresses depth or complete entry, especially in technical or medical writing. 'Prick' suggests only a tiny, quick touch with a point. A thorn may pierce your glove, a pin may puncture a balloon, and a needle may prick your finger.

pierce ↗puncturestab ↗penetrate ↗prick

Common collocations

Phrases

  • pierce through

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

Pierce came into English from Old French 'percer', a verb meaning to bore or break through. It is linked to Latin forms behind the idea of making an opening. The physical picture stayed central in English: something sharp, strong, or focused passes through a surface or barrier. From there, the word also came to describe light and sound coming clearly through darkness, smoke, fog, or noise.