A wave-piercing boat hull has a very fine bow, with reduced buoyancy in the forward portions. When a wave is encountered, the lack of buoyancy means the hull pierces through the water rather than riding over the top, resulting in a smoother ride than traditional designs, and in diminished mechanical stress on the vessel. It also reduces a boat's wave-making resistance.

Design theory calls for very long thin hulls, so in practice most are multi-hulls such as catamarans and trimarans.

The main current usage areas are passenger ferries and naval ships.