penetrate

[ˈpɛnɪtɹeɪt]

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A penetrating person or idea gets to the heart of the matter and has a strong impact. Penetration can also refer to physical objects piercing through other things.

When we say something penetrates our minds, we mean it's really getting inside and affecting us deeply. Think about a movie that makes you feel all the emotions – its ideas might penetrate your thoughts in a way that's hard to shake off. We use this word when talking about art, music, or even arguments: "Her words penetrated my defenses and made me think twice."

How common is "penetrate"?

Word penetrate is considered uncommon in modern English.
It has a balanced usage among all categories: speech, fiction, newspapers and academic texts.

Definitions

verb

To enter into; to make way into the interior of; to pierce.
Example: Light penetrates darkness.
To achieve understanding of, despite some obstacle; to comprehend; to understand.
Example: I could not penetrate Burke's opaque rhetoric.
To affect profoundly through the senses or feelings; to move deeply.
Example: to penetrate one's heart with pity
To infiltrate an enemy to gather intelligence.
To insert the penis into an opening, such as a vagina or anus.
Example: a male elephant comes up and penetrates the female elephant
To move a piece past the defending pieces of one's opponent.