penetrate

Everyday

1. To penetrate something is to go into it or through it, often with effort: the nail penetrated the wood. tree →
2. To penetrate a group or market is to get into it successfully. tree →
3. (formal) To penetrate an idea or mystery is to understand it. tree →
4. To penetrate can also mean to reach deep inside someone's feelings, so that they are touched. tree →

In the lessons

In science: light penetrates water, X-rays penetrate the body, roots penetrate the soil. In stories: «her eyes could not penetrate the darkness». In geography: sunlight penetrates the rainforest floor only in places.

Examples

• Sunlight cannot penetrate the deep ocean. tree →
• The roots penetrated deep into the soil. tree →
• The cold penetrated through his thin coat. tree →
• X-rays penetrate skin but not bone. tree →
• The torch could not penetrate the thick fog. tree →
• Rain penetrated the old roof. tree →
• These pitying words penetrated to Inge's inmost heart, and seemed to do her good. tree →

Note

Noun: penetration; adjective: penetrating (a penetrating look or sound is sharp and strong). Formal; everyday: go through, get into.