penetrate

Verb

Synonyms: perforate fathom bottom click get through dawn come home get across sink in fall into place infiltrate permeate

WordNet 3.0

Verb (7)

pass into or through, often by overcoming resistance“The bullet penetrated her chest”Synonyms: perforate
come to understandSynonyms: fathom bottom
become clear or enter one's consciousness or emotions“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“The student organization was infiltrated by a traitor”Synonyms: infiltrate
make one's way deeper into or through“The hikers did not manage to penetrate the dense forest”
insert the penis into the vagina or anus of“Did the molester penetrate the child?”
spread or diffuse through“An atmosphere of distrust has permeated this administration”“music penetrated the entire building”“His campaign was riddled with accusations and personal attacks”Synonyms: permeate pervade interpenetrate diffuse imbue riddle

Webster's Dictionary (GCIDE)

Penetrate \Pen"e*trate\, v. i. To pass; to make way; to pierce. Also used figuratively. [1913 Webster]

Preparing to penetrate to the north and west. --J. R. Green. [1913 Webster]

Born where Heaven's influence scarce can penetrate. --Pope. [1913 Webster]

The sweet of life that penetrates so near. --Daniel. [1913 Webster]

Penetrate \Pen"e*trate\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Penetrated; p. pr. & vb. n. Penetrating.] [L. penetratus, p. p. of penetrare to penetrate; akin to penitus inward, inwardly, and perh. to pens with, in the power of, penus store of food, innermost part of a temple.]

1.To enter into; to make way into the interior of; to effect an entrance into; to pierce; as, light penetrates darkness. [1913 Webster]

2.To affect profoundly through the senses or feelings; to touch with feeling; to make sensible; to move deeply; as, to penetrate one's heart with pity. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

The translator of Homer should penetrate himself with a sense of the plainness and directness of Homer's style.— M. Arnold.[1913 Webster]

3.To pierce into by the mind; to arrive at the inner contents or meaning of, as of a mysterious or difficult subject; to comprehend; to understand. [1913 Webster]

Things which here were too subtile for us to penetrate.— Ray.[1913 Webster]