piercing

Adjective

• painful as if caused by a sharp instrument
  • a cutting wind
    
  • keen winds
    
  • knifelike cold
    
  • piercing knifelike pains
    
  • piercing cold
    
  • piercing criticism
    
  • a stabbing pain
    
  • lancinating pain
    

• having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions
  • an acute observer of politics and politicians
    
  • incisive comments
    
  • icy knifelike reasoning
    
  • as sharp and incisive as the stroke of a fang
    
  • penetrating insight
    
  • frequent penetrative observations
    

Related words

• Synonyms: 
  cutting , keen , knifelike , stabbing , lancinate , lancinating , acute , discriminating , incisive , penetrating , penetrative , sharp