penetrateverb
uk/ˈpen.ɪ.treɪt/us/ˈpen.ə.treɪt/penetrate verb (MOVE INTO)
[ I or T ] to move into or through something:
Amazingly, the bullet did not penetrate his brain.
In a normal winter, the frost penetrates deeply enough to kill off insect eggs in the soil.
[ T ] to succeed in becoming part of an organization, etc. and working within it :
The organization had been penetrated by a spy.
The company has been successful in penetrating overseas markets this year (= it has started selling its products in them).
[ I or T ] to reach or affect something:
These changes had not yet penetrated as far west as the mountains of Merioneth.
[ T ] If your eyes penetrate somewhere dark, you manage to see through it:
Our eyes couldn't penetrate the dark/the gloom of the inner cave.
[ T ] When a man penetrates his partner during sex, he puts his penis into his or her body.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Using the eyes
- before your very eyes idiom
- beheld
- bore
- breathe
- come to sb's attention/notice idiom
- eye
- feast
- gawk
- get a load of that! idiom
- get him, her, you, etc.! idiom
- glance
- look-see
- observational
- ogle
- out of/from the corner of your eye idiom
- passer-by
- rest
- sneak
- squint
- visual
See more results »
penetrate verb (UNDERSTAND)
[ I or T ] to study or investigate something in order to understand it:
It's hard to penetrate her mind.
He penetrates deeper into the artist's life in the second volume of his autobiography.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Understanding and comprehending
- apprehend
- apprehension
- at your fingertips idiom
- attune
- bear in on/upon
- common
- fathom
- feel
- fingertip
- hit
- make sth/sb of sth/sb
- make sth/sb out
- mind
- picture
- plumb
- read between the lines idiom
- reading
- realization
- take sth in
- twig
See more results »