verb
- Pass into or through, often by overcoming resistance.
- usage: "The bullet penetrated her chest"
- synonyms: perforate
- Come to understand.
- Become clear or enter one's consciousness or emotions.
- usage: "It dawned on him that she had betrayed him"; "she was penetrated with sorrow"
- synonyms: click, get through, dawn, come home, get across, sink in, fall into place
- Enter a group or organization in order to spy on the members.
- usage: "The student organization was infiltrated by a traitor"
- synonyms: infiltrate
- Make one's way deeper into or through.
- usage: "The hikers did not manage to penetrate the dense forest"
- Insert the penis into the vagina or anus of.
- usage: "Did the molester penetrate the child"
- Spread or diffuse through.
- usage: "An atmosphere of distrust has permeated this administration"; "music penetrated the entire building"; "His campaign was riddled with accusations and personal attacks"
WordNet 3.0 © 2006 by Princeton University
| APA | WordNet. (2010). penetrate. Retrieved September 20, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/penetrate/definitions/1301037 |
| Chicago | WordNet. 2010. "penetrate" http://smartdefine.org/penetrate/definitions/1301037 (accessed September 20, 2026). |
| Harvard | WordNet 2010, penetrate, Smart Define, viewed 20 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/penetrate/definitions/1301037>. |
| MLA | WordNet. "penetrate" 23 October 2010. Web. 20 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/penetrate/definitions/1301037> |