He gave me a penetrating gaze.
Source: tatoeba (2152269)
Penetrating
//ˈpɛnɪtɹeɪtɪŋ//
Synonyms for "penetrating" (215 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (43)
Strong matches (65)
crispcriticalcuttingdeafeningdeepdeep-feltdeepgoingdevastatingdiscerningdiscriminatingdouble edgeddouble-edgeddrivingear piercingear-piercingear-splittingedgedeffectiveescharoticfarseeing
Show 42 more words
farsightedfierceforcefulforcibleforeseeingforesightedforethoughtedforethoughtfulfreezingfreezing coldfrigidgelidglacialgoodgutsyhardharshheartfelthibernalhiemalhighhomefelthowlinghyperboreanice coldice-coldice-encrustedicelikeicyimperativeimpressiveincisiveinclementindelibleingoinginsightfulintelligentintenseintimateirritatingkeenkeening
Adjective(3 words)
Related words (107)
Adjective(4 words)
longheadedlongsightedloudluminousmordaciousmordantnervousnicenippingnippynose ticklingnose-piercingnose-ticklingnumbingpenetrationpenetrativeperceptivepercipientperspicaciousperspicuous
Show 83 more words
pervadingpervasivepiercingpinchingpipingpiquantpoignantpointedpowerfulprofoundprovidentpunchypungentquickquick-wittedrawreedyreekingrigorousroughsagacioussagescathingscorchingscreakyscreechingscreechysearchingsensationalsensitiveseveresharp-sightedsharp-wittedshrewdshriekingshriekyshrillsiberiansinewedsinewyslashingsleetyslushysmartsnappysoursqueakingsqueakystabbingstingingstone coldstone-coldstridentstrikingstringentstrongstrong-scentedstrong-smellingsubzerosuffocatingsupercooledtarttellingthinthunderingtrenchantululantunderstandingvehementvigorousviolentvirulentvitalvitriolicwailingwhiningwhistlingwinterboundwinterlikewinterywintrywitheringwitty
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
Synonyms
1 entriesderived
4 entriesform of
1 entriesis a
2 entriesrelated to
8 entriessimilar
3 entriesTranslations
23 translations across 12 languages.
Bulgarian
3 entries- пронизващ adj (able to pierce or penetrate)
- проникващ adj (able to pierce or penetrate)
- проницателен adj (demonstrating keen understanding)
Dutch
1 entries- indringend adj (demonstrating keen understanding)
Finnish
4 entries- läpitunkeva adj (able to pierce or penetrate)
- syvällinen adj (demonstrating keen understanding)
- viiltävä adj (able to pierce or penetrate)
- viiltävä adj (demonstrating keen understanding)
French
1 entries- pénétrant adj (able to pierce or penetrate)
Greek
1 entries- διαπεραστικός adj (able to pierce or penetrate)
Irish
1 entries- tolltach adj (able to pierce or penetrate)
Latin
1 entries- penetrālis adj (able to pierce or penetrate)
Macedonian
3 entries- про́бивен adj (able to pierce or penetrate)
- про́дорен adj (able to pierce or penetrate)
- про́никлив adj (demonstrating keen understanding)
Māori
1 entries- tīwharawhara adj (able to pierce or penetrate)
Persian
1 entries- نافذ adj (able to pierce or penetrate)
Ukrainian
2 entries- прони́кливий adj (able to pierce or penetrate)
- прони́кливий adj (demonstrating keen understanding)
Welsh
4 entries- craff adj (demonstrating keen understanding)
- treiddgar adj (able to pierce or penetrate)
- treiddgar adj (demonstrating keen understanding)
- treiddiol adj (able to pierce or penetrate)
Sample sentences
14 total sentences available.
Tom gave me a penetrating gaze.
Source: tatoeba (5822962)
Two gentlemen were awaiting us in the station—the one a tall, fair man with lion-like hair and beard and curiously penetrating light blue eyes; the other a small, alert person, very neat and dapper, in a frock-coat and gaiters, with trim little side-whiskers and an eye-glass.
Source: tatoeba (6957633)
One of these strangers was about forty years of age, tall, and thin in the flanks, with an aquiline nose, dark penetrating eyes, and a shrewd but sinister cast of countenance.
Source: tatoeba (7752235)
Showing 4 of 14 available sentences.
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.