penetrating

pen·e·trat·ing
[;pen;;tr;diNG]
adjective
penetrating (adjective)
able to make a way through or into something:
"the problem of penetrating damp" · "the penetrating scents of pine and eucalyptus"
(of a voice or sound) clearly heard through or above other sounds:
"a single penetrating whistle"
(of a person's eyes or expression) reflecting an apparent ability to see into the mind of the person being looked at; piercingly intense:
"attempting to avoid her penetrating gaze"
having or showing clear insight:
"the students asked some penetrating questions"
pen·e·trate
[;pen;;tr;t]
verb
penetrating (present participle)
go into or through (something), especially with force or effort:
"the shrapnel had penetrated the wall" · "tunnels that penetrate deep into the earth's core"
(of a man) insert the penis into the vagina or anus of (a sexual partner).
gain access to (an organization, place, or system), especially when this is difficult to do:
"their operation had been thoroughly penetrated by foreign intelligence" · "hackers penetrated security firewalls"
(of a company) begin to sell its products in (a particular market or area):
"the company has succeeded in penetrating Western motorcycle markets"
succeed in understanding or gaining insight into (something complex or mysterious):
"I could never penetrate his thoughts" · "a magician who seemed to have penetrated the mysteries of nature"
be fully understood or realized by someone:
"as his words penetrated, she saw a mental picture of him with Lauren"
Origin
mid 16th century: from Latin penetrat- ‘placed or gone into’, from the verb penetrare; related to penitus ‘inner’.