The exterior walls are three to three and a half feet thick to prevent penetrationby bombs. [+ by]
...moves designed to block enemy penetrations.
Synonyms: perception, insight, wit, sharpness More Synonyms of penetrate
Synonyms: entry, entrance, inroad More Synonyms of penetrate
Synonyms: pervasion, spreading, soaking, diffusion More Synonyms of penetrate
Synonyms: piercing, entry, entrance, invasion More Synonyms of penetrate
2. verb
If someone penetrates an organization, a group, or a profession, they succeed in entering it although it is difficult to do so.
...the continuing failure of women to penetrate the higher levels of engineering. [VERB noun]
They opened an office in Tokyo in an effort to penetrate the Japanese market. [VERB noun]
3. verb
If someone penetrates an enemy group or a rival organization, they succeed in joining it in order to get information or cause trouble.
The CIA were trying to penetrate a crime ring operating out of Munich. [VERB noun]
The army was one of the few institutions the secret police were not encouraged topenetrate. [VERB noun]
penetrationuncountable noun
...the successful penetration of the country's intelligence service. [+ of]
Synonyms: perception, insight, wit, sharpness More Synonyms of penetrate
Synonyms: entry, entrance, inroad More Synonyms of penetrate
Synonyms: pervasion, spreading, soaking, diffusion More Synonyms of penetrate
Synonyms: piercing, entry, entrance, invasion More Synonyms of penetrate
4. verb
If a company or country penetrates a market or area, they succeed in selling their products there.
[business]
There have been around 15 attempts from outside France to penetrate the market. [VERB noun]
penetrationuncountable noun
...import penetration across a broad range of heavy industries.
Synonyms: perception, insight, wit, sharpness More Synonyms of penetrate
Synonyms: entry, entrance, inroad More Synonyms of penetrate
Synonyms: pervasion, spreading, soaking, diffusion More Synonyms of penetrate
Synonyms: piercing, entry, entrance, invasion More Synonyms of penetrate
5. verb
If you penetrate something that is difficult to understand, you succeed in understanding it.
[formal]
...long answers that were often difficult to penetrate. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: grasp, understand, work out, figure out [informal] More Synonyms of penetrate
More Synonyms of penetrate
penetrate in British English
(ˈpɛnɪˌtreɪt)
verb
1.
to find or force a way into or through (something); pierce; enter
2.
to diffuse through (a substance); permeate
3. (transitive)
to see through
their eyes could not penetrate the fog
4. (transitive)
(of a man) to insert the penis into the vagina or anus of (a person)
5. (transitive)
to grasp the meaning of (a principle, etc)
6. (intransitive)
to be understood
his face lit up as the new idea penetrated
Derived forms
penetrable (ˈpenetrable)
adjective
penetrability (ˌpenetraˈbility) or penetrableness (ˈpenetrableness) (ˈpɛnɪtrəbəlnəs)
noun
penetrably (ˈpenetrably)
adverb
penetrative (ˈpenetrative)
adjective
penetrator (ˈpeneˌtrator)
noun
Word origin
C16: from Latin penetrāre; related to penitus inner, and penus the interior of a house
penetrate in American English
(ˈpɛnɪˌtreɪt)
verb transitiveWord forms: ˈpeneˌtrated or ˈpeneˌtrating
1.
a.
to pass into; find or force a way into or through; enter by or as by piercing
b.
to insert the penis into (the vagina or anus) of
2.
to see into, or into the interior of
to penetrate the darkness
3.
to have an effect throughout; spread through; permeate
4.
to affect or move deeply
5.
to grasp mentally; understand
verb intransitive
6.
to make a way into or through something; pierce
7.
to have a marked effect on the mind or emotions
Word origin
< L penetratus, pp. of penetrare, to pierce into, penetrate < base of penitus, inward, far within (< penus, store of food, storeroom, sanctuary of temple of Vesta < IE base *pen-, to feed, food) + (in)trare, enter
Examples of 'penetrate' in a sentence
penetrate
His mind would be harder for Vangelis to penetrate than a concrete fortification.
Harvey, John COUP D'ETAT (2000)
He craned through the front window to try to penetrate the murky green shadows clustered under the legs of the floating steel platform.
Jenkins, Geoffrey A DAYSTAR OF FEAR (2000)
At the same time the sun's vital rays would be unable to penetrate this shroud.
Davis, John Gordon SEIZE THE RECKLESS WIND (2000)
He stood uncertainly in the opening, his head moving from side to side, his weak eyes unable to penetrate the darkness.
Elizabeth Peters HE SHALL THUNDER IN THE SKY (2000)
In other languages
penetrate
British English: penetrate VERB
If something or someone penetrates a physical object or an area, they succeed in getting into it or passing through it.
X-rays can penetrate many objects.
American English: penetrate
Brazilian Portuguese: penetrar
Chinese: 进入
European Spanish: penetrar
French: pénétrer
German: durchdringen
Italian: penetrare in
Japanese: 突き抜ける
Korean: 꿰뚫다
European Portuguese: penetrar
Latin American Spanish: penetrar
Chinese translation of 'penetrate'
penetrate
(ˈpɛnɪtreɪt)
vt
[light, water, sound]透过(過) (tòuguò)
[person]
[territory, forest]进(進)入 (jìnrù)
[profession, organisation]进(進)入 (jìnrù)
[enemy group etc]打入 (dǎrù)
1 (verb)
Definition
to find or force a way into or through
The needle penetrated the skin.
Synonyms
pierce
Pierce the skin of the potato with a fork.
enter
The icicle entered his right hand.
go through
bore
Get the special drill bit to bore the correct-size hole.
probe
stab
Somebody stabbed him in the stomach.
prick
She pricked her finger with a needle.
perforate
The table was perforated by a series of small holes.
impale
I had to go to hospital after impaling my foot on a railing spike.
2 (verb)
Definition
to diffuse through
A cool breeze penetrated the mosquito netting.
Synonyms
pervade
the corruption that pervades every stratum of society
enter
permeate
The water will eventually permeate through the surrounding concrete.
filter through
suffuse
A dull red flash suffused Selby's face.
seep through
get in through
percolate through
3 (verb)
Definition
to find or force a way into or through
They had managed to penetrate Soviet defences.
Synonyms
infiltrate
Activists had infiltrated the student movement.
enter
get in to
make inroads into
sneak in to (informal)
work or worm your way into
4 (verb)
Definition
to grasp the meaning of (a principle, etc.)
long answers that were often difficult to penetrate
Synonyms
grasp
The Government has not yet grasped the seriousness of the crisis.
understand
I think you understand my meaning.
work out
figure out (informal)
unravel
He wanted to unravel the mystery of his colleague's disappearance.
discern
comprehend
I just cannot comprehend your attitude.
fathom
I couldn't fathom what he was talking about.
decipher
I can't decipher these notes.
suss (out) (slang)
get to the bottom of
5 (verb)
His words penetrated her fuddled brain.
Synonyms
be understood by
touch
a guilt that in some way touches everyone
affect
He loved his sister, and her loss clearly still affects him.
impress on
come across to
become clear to
get through to
Additional synonyms
in the sense of affect
Definition
to move someone emotionally
He loved his sister, and her loss clearly still affects him.
Synonyms
emotionally move,
touch,
upset,
overcome,
stir,
disturb,
perturb,
impress on,
tug at your heartstrings (facetious)
in the sense of bore
Definition
to produce (a tunnel, mine shaft, etc.) by drilling
Get the special drill bit to bore the correct-size hole.
Synonyms
drill,
mine,
sink,
tunnel,
pierce,
penetrate,
burrow,
puncture,
perforate,
gouge out
in the sense of comprehend
Definition
to understand
I just cannot comprehend your attitude.
Synonyms
understand,
see,
take in,
perceive,
grasp,
conceive,
make out,
discern,
assimilate,
see the light,
fathom,
apprehend,
get the hang of (informal),
get the picture,
know
Synonyms of 'penetrate'
penetrate
Explore 'penetrate' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of decipher
Definition
to make out the meaning of (something obscure or illegible)
I can't decipher these notes.
Synonyms
figure out,
read,
understand,
interpret (informal),
make out,
unravel,
deduce,
construe,
suss (out) (slang)
in the sense of enter
The icicle entered his right hand.
Synonyms
penetrate,
get in,
insert into,
pierce,
pass into,
perforate
in the sense of fathom
Definition
to understand by thinking carefully about
I couldn't fathom what he was talking about.
Synonyms
understand,
grasp,
comprehend,
interpret,
get to the bottom of
in the sense of impale
Definition
to pierce through or fix with a sharp object
I had to go to hospital after impaling my foot on a railing spike.
Synonyms
pierce,
stick,
run through,
spike,
lance,
spear,
skewer,
spit,
transfix
in the sense of perforate
Definition
to make a hole or holes in
The table was perforated by a series of small holes.
Synonyms
pierce,
hole,
bore,
punch,
drill,
penetrate,
puncture,
honeycomb
in the sense of permeate
Definition
to pass through or cause to pass through by osmosis or diffusion
The water will eventually permeate through the surrounding concrete.
Synonyms
pervade,
saturate,
charge,
fill,
pass through,
penetrate,
infiltrate,
imbue,
filter through,
spread through,
impregnate,
seep through,
percolate,
soak through,
diffuse throughout
in the sense of prick
Definition
to pierce lightly with a sharp point
She pricked her finger with a needle.
Synonyms
pierce,
stab,
puncture,
bore,
pink,
punch,
lance,
jab,
perforate,
impale
in the sense of stab
Definition
to pierce with a sharp pointed instrument
Somebody stabbed him in the stomach.
Synonyms
pierce,
cut,
gore,
run through,
stick,
injure,
wound,
knife,
thrust,
spear,
jab,
puncture,
bayonet,
transfix,
impale,
spill blood
in the sense of suffuse
Definition
to spread through or over (something)
A dull red flash suffused Selby's face.
Synonyms
spread through or over,
flood,
infuse,
cover,
steep,
bathe,
mantle,
pervade,
permeate,
imbue,
overspread,
transfuse (literary)
in the sense of touch
Definition
to have an effect on
a guilt that in some way touches everyone
Synonyms
affect,
mark,
involve,
strike,
get to (informal),
influence,
inspire,
impress,
get through to,
have an effect on,
make an impression on
Additional synonyms
in the sense of understand
Definition
to know what is happening or why it is happening
I think you understand my meaning.
Synonyms
comprehend,
get,
take in,
perceive,
grasp,
know,
see,
follow,
realize,
recognize,
appreciate,
be aware of,
penetrate,
make out,
discern,
twig (British, informal),
fathom,
savvy (slang),
apprehend,
conceive of,
suss (British, informal),
get to the bottom of,
get the hang of (informal),
tumble to (informal),
catch on to (informal),
cotton on to (informal),
make head or tail of (informal),
get your head round
in the sense of unravel
Definition
to explain or solve
He wanted to unravel the mystery of his colleague's disappearance.