1. (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Pierce.

2. (a.) Forcibly entering, or adapted to enter, at or by a point; perforating; penetrating; keen; -- used also figuratively; as, a piercing instrument, or thrust.

Siberian absorbing acerb acerbate acerbic acid acidic acidulent acidulous acrid acrimonious acupunctuation acupuncture acute afflictive agonizing algid apperceptive appercipient arctic argute arresting asperous astringent astute atrocious bayonetting below zero biting bitter bitterly cold blaring bleak booming bore boreal boring brisk broach brumal caustic chilling cogent cold cold as charity cold as death cold as ice cold as marble corroding corrosive cramping creaky crisp cruel cutting deafening deep deep-felt deepgoing discerning distressing double-edged drastic drill hole driving ear-piercing ear-rending ear-splitting earsplitting earthshaking edged effective empiercement enthralling entrancing escharotic excessive excruciating exorbitant exquisite extravagant extreme farseeing farsighted fascinating fierce fixing forceful forcible foreseeing foresighted forethoughted forethoughtful forte fortissimo freezing freezing cold frigid frosty full furious gelid glacial gnawing goring grave great griping gripping gutsy hard harrowing harsh heartfelt hibernal hiemal high high-pitched homefelt howling hurtful hurting hyperborean ice-cold ice-encrusted icelike icy immoderate impalement imperative impressive incisive inclement indelible intemperate intense irritating keen keening knifelike knifing lancing longheaded longsighted loud loud-sounding loudish mordacious mordant nervous nipping nippy nose-tickling numbing outrageous painful paroxysmal pealing penetrating penetration perceptive percipient perforation perspicacious perspicuous pervading pinching piping piquant plangent poignant powerful pricking probing profound provident punching punchy puncture puncturing pungent racking raw reedy reeking resounding rigorous ringing roaring rough sagacious scathing scorching screaky screaming screeching screechy searching sensational severe sharp shooting shrieking shrieky shrill sinewed sinewy skewering slashing sleety slushy snappy sonorous sour spasmatic spasmic spasmodic spellbinding splitting squeaking squeaky stabbing stentoraphonic stentorian stentorious stinging stone-cold strident striking stringent strong subzero supercooled tart telling terebration the sword thin thundering thunderous tonitruant tonitruous tormenting torturous tough transfixation transfixion transforation treble trenchant trepanning trephining ululant unconscionable