Library / English Dictionary

PENETRATE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Become clear or enter one's consciousness or emotions

Example:

she was penetrated with sorrow

Synonyms:

click; come home; dawn; fall into place; get across; get through; penetrate; sink in

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Cause:

understand (know and comprehend the nature or meaning of)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Sense 2

Meaning:

Come to understand

Synonyms:

bottom; fathom; penetrate

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Hypernyms (to "penetrate" is one way to...):

understand (know and comprehend the nature or meaning of)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Somebody ----s that CLAUSE

Derivation:

penetration (clear or deep perception of a situation)

penetrative (having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Pass into or through, often by overcoming resistance

Example:

The bullet penetrated her chest

Synonyms:

penetrate; perforate

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "penetrate" is one way to...):

come in; enter; get in; get into; go in; go into; move into (to come or go into)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "penetrate"):

ooze through (run slowly and gradually)

force; storm (take by force)

immerse; plunge (thrust or throw into)

grain; ingrain (thoroughly work in)

filter; percolate; permeate; sink in (pass through)

tunnel (force a way through)

pierce (cut or make a way through)

pierce; thrust (penetrate or cut through with a sharp instrument)

pierce (make a hole into)

honeycomb (penetrate thoroughly and into every part)

diffuse; imbue; interpenetrate; penetrate; permeate; pervade; riddle (spread or diffuse through)

creep in; sneak in (enter surreptitiously)

poke into (enter briefly)

foray (briefly enter enemy territory)

break (pierce or penetrate)

strike (pierce with force)

interpenetrate; permeate (penetrate mutually or be interlocked)

cut (penetrate injuriously)

dig into; poke into; probe (examine physically with or as if with a probe)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something
Somebody ----s PP

Derivation:

penetrator (an intruder who passes into or through (often by overcoming resistance))

Sense 4

Meaning:

Spread or diffuse through

Example:

His campaign was riddled with accusations and personal attacks

Synonyms:

diffuse; imbue; interpenetrate; penetrate; permeate; pervade; riddle

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "penetrate" is one way to...):

penetrate; perforate (pass into or through, often by overcoming resistance)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "penetrate"):

spiritise; spiritize (imbue with a spirit)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s something

Derivation:

penetrative (tending to penetrate; having the power of entering or piercing)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Insert the penis into the vagina or anus of

Example:

Did the molester penetrate the child?

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "penetrate" is one way to...):

enter; infix; insert; introduce (put or introduce into something)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

penetration (the act (by a man) of inserting his penis into the vagina of a woman)

Sense 6

Meaning:

Make one's way deeper into or through

Example:

The hikers did not manage to penetrate the dense forest

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Hypernyms (to "penetrate" is one way to...):

advance; go on; march on; move on; pass on; progress (move forward, also in the metaphorical sense)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s PP

Derivation:

penetration (the ability to make way into or through something)

Sense 7

Meaning:

Enter a group or organization in order to spy on the members

Example:

The student organization was infiltrated by a traitor

Synonyms:

infiltrate; penetrate

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Hypernyms (to "penetrate" is one way to...):

fall in; get together; join (become part of; become a member of a group or organization)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Credits

 Context examples: 

Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) Check Yes or No if the adjective applies to your pain; penetrating.

(BPI - Penetrating, NCI Thesaurus)

Because of its ability to penetrate biological membranes, it is used as a vehicle for topical application of pharmaceuticals.

(Dimethyl sulfoxide, NCI Thesaurus)

A colorless liquid that readily dissolves many chemicals and penetrates animal and plant tissues.

(Dimethyl sulfoxide, NCI Dictionary)

But here were books, and here were men who had penetrated deeper and knew more.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

This agent does not penetrate the outer membrane of gram-negative bacteria.

(Daptomycin, NCI Thesaurus)

In humans they penetrate the intestinal wall and invade subcutaneous tissue, brain, eye, muscle, heart, liver, lung, and peritoneum.

(Cysticercosis, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

In addition, cabazitaxel penetrates the blood-brain barrier (BBB).

(Cabazitaxel, NCI Thesaurus)

Colistin functions as a surfactant which penetrates into and disrupts the bacterial cell membrane, thereby resulting in bactericidal effect.

(Colistimethate, NCI Thesaurus)

Colorectal cancer which penetrates the visceral peritoneum.

(Colorectal Cancer pT4b TNM Finding v6, NCI Thesaurus)

A wound or cleft resulted from tissue separation into parts or laid open or penetrated with a sharp edge or instrument.

(Cut, NCI Thesaurus)