thrill

1 of 2

verb

thrilled; thrilling; thrills
1
transitive : to cause (someone) to experience a strong feeling of enjoyable excitement
The news thrilled him.
a performance that thrilled the crowd
It's just one of the 35 breathtaking stunts the 47-year-old daredevil pilot uses to thrill spectators at airshows across the country.Jean Bryant
see also thrilled, thrilling
2
intransitive : to experience a surge of excitement and pleasure
They thrilled to the sound of his voice.
She remembers that her father thrilled to see his daughter's name in print …David Ansen
From the beginning, Americans thrilled to the Hubble's potential to do dramatic science, to take us intellectually where no one has gone before.Chet Raymo
Kit thrilled at the sight of the familiar red coats.Elizabeth George Speare
3
intransitive, chiefly literary
a
: to move or pass so as to cause a sudden wave of emotion
… a faint cold fear thrills through my veins …William Shakespeare
b
: tremble entry 1, vibrate
… the very rocks seem to thrill with life.John Muir

thrill

2 of 2

noun

plural thrills
1
a
: a feeling of great excitement or happiness
The thrill isn't gone from our marriage after all this time.
the thrill of discovery/victory
"The most fun thing I've done so far," [Dorothy] Parke reports, "is put my foot through a window. It was only breakaway glass; but it was my first stunt, and it gave me such a thrill."Paul Francis
b
: a tingling of or as if of the nerves produced by a sudden emotional reaction
a thrill of horror
a thrill of pride/pleasure/anticipation
Harry felt a thrill of dread: He was about to pay for what had just happened, he was sure of it.J. K. Rowling
2
: a very exciting or enjoyable event or experience
What a thrill it was to see the Queen!
a movie with a lot of thrills and chills [=exciting and frightening parts]
the thrills and spills of skateboarding
He had always fancied himself as having a fine voice, and now to hear it from his wife's own lips was a real thrill.E. B. White

Examples of thrill in a Sentence

Verb Circus performers still thrill audiences today. I was thrilled by their decision. Noun everyone gets a real thrill out of the Independence Day fireworks
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Lin-Manuel Miranda has thrilled and delighted audiences around the world for years, most notably with his groundbreaking musical Hamilton, as well as with his contributions to films like Encanto and The Little Mermaid. Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 18 Oct. 2024 Not everyone is thrilled with the change, which limits students to just three bathroom breaks per day, according to KCBS-TV. Abigail Adams, People.com, 17 Oct. 2024
Noun
Date: October 25 Rooms from $511 Photo : William James Rust The Roosevelt New Orleans The Roosevelt New Orleans, which opened over 100 years ago, will partner with Killer Theater to present an evening of thrills, chills, and fine dining with Dead of Night at The Roosevelt: A Murder Mystery Dinner. Meredith Lepore, Robb Report, 23 Oct. 2024 Dodgers Remembering Dodgers legend Fernando Valenzuela | 1960-2024 Oct. 22, 2024 In what turned out to be his final season with the Dodgers, Valenzuela provided fans one last thrill on June 29, 1990. Ed Guzman, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for thrill 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'thrill.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English thirlen, thrillen to pierce, from Old English thyrlian, from thyrel hole, from thurh through — more at through entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

1599, in the meaning defined at sense 3a

Noun

circa 1680, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of thrill was in 1599

Dictionary Entries Near thrill

Cite this Entry

“Thrill.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thrill. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

thrill

1 of 2 verb
ˈthril
1
: to experience or cause to experience a sudden strong feeling of excitement
the news thrilled him
2
: vibrate sense 2, tremble
a voice thrilling with emotion

thrill

2 of 2 noun
1
a
: a sudden strong emotion often accompanied by a tingling sensation
gets a thrill of excitement from riding the roller coaster
felt a thrill of fear
b
: something that thrills
seeing my picture in the newspaper was a thrill
2
Etymology

Verb

Middle English thirlen, thrillen "to pierce," from Old English thyrlian (same meaning) from thyrel "a hole," from thurh "through" — related to nostril, thorough, through

Word Origin
Today when we speak of being thrilled, we are referring to a very pleasing experience. But it was not always so. The Old English word thyrlian, which gave us thrill, meant "to pierce" as with an arrow or spear. The Old English word came from an earlier word thyrel, meaning "hole." Thyrel has also given us the last half of the word nostril, which literally means "nose hole." During the Middle English period the verb thyrlian became thirlen and continued to mean "to pierce." It also was the basis of the new verb thrillen, meaning "to penetrate." Then a connection was made between the physical sensation of being pierced and the emotional feeling of being suddenly and sharply excited. A new sense was born, which became the chief meaning of our thrill.

Medical Definition

thrill

noun
: an abnormal fine tremor or vibration in the respiratory or circulatory systems felt on palpation
a continuous systolic and diastolic murmur, frequently associated with a thrillR. L. Cecil & R. F. Loeb

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