thrill

verb

\ ˈthril

thrilled; thrilling; thrills

Definition of thrill

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

1a : to cause to experience a sudden sharp feeling of excitement the news thrilled him

b : to cause to have a shivering or tingling sensation

2 : to cause to vibrate or tremble perceptibly

intransitive verb

1 : to become thrilled:

a : to experience a sudden sharp excitement

b : tingle, throb

2 : to move or pass so as to cause a sudden wave of emotion

3 : tremble, vibrate

thrill

noun

plural thrills

Definition of thrill (Entry 2 of 2)

1a : 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

Other Words from thrill Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about thrill

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Examples of thrill in a Sentence

Verb

Circus performers still thrill audiences today. I was thrilled by their decision.

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Naturally, in a sport in which change comes slowly, not everyone is thrilled with this experiment. — SFChronicle.com, "Astros’ Justin Verlander tells ESPN that baseballs are juiced, ‘100 percent’," 8 July 2019 But not everyone was thrilled with Ocata’s acquisition by Astellas. — Jonathan Saltzman, BostonGlobe.com, "Stem-cell biotech seeing strong growth," 2 July 2019 Not everyone is thrilled with the RealReal’s plans. — Sapna Maheshwari, New York Times, "The RealReal Goes Public as Secondhand Fashion Becomes First Choice," 27 June 2019 Predictably, not everyone is thrilled with such innovations. — Sarah Min, CBS News, "New edition of Monopoly ditches cash in favor of digital banker," 25 June 2019 Tom Steyer’s NextGen Climate Action has devoted nearly $6 million for Question 6, and the green lobby is thrilled about the possibility of a captive consumer base. — The Editorial Board, WSJ, "Nevada’s Power Politics," 2 Nov. 2018 Aussie Spirit’s head coach, Fabian Barlow, is thrilled to have Porter on his team. — Deaundra Allen, kansascity, "Batter up! Aussie hopes softball journey carries her to Tokyo in 2020," 10 July 2018 In another instance, one of my clients is thrilled that a public company wants to look at a possible acquisition of his company. — Neil Senturia, sandiegouniontribune.com, "What does your audience need to learn? Break it down," 14 May 2018 His next movie, Once Upon a Time In Hollywood, will connect to the Manson Family murders, something that not everyone — including Sharon Tate's family — is thrilled about. — refinery29.com, "Margot Robbie Joins Quentin Tarantino's Controversial Charles Manson Movie," 9 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'thrill.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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More Definitions for thrill

thrill

verb

English Language Learners Definition of thrill

(Entry 1 of 2)

: to cause (someone) to feel very excited or happy

: to feel very excited or happy about something

thrill

noun

English Language Learners Definition of thrill (Entry 2 of 2)

: a feeling of great excitement or happiness

: a very exciting or enjoyable event or experience

See the full definition for thrill in the English Language Learners Dictionary

thrill

verb

\ ˈthril

thrilled; thrilling

Kids Definition of thrill

(Entry 1 of 2)

: to have or cause to have a sudden feeling of excitement or pleasure

thrill

noun

Kids Definition of thrill (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : a sudden strong feeling especially of excitement or happiness the thrill of victory … Harry felt a sudden thrill of foreboding.— J. K. Rowling, Goblet of Fire

2 : something that produces a feeling of excitement The boys went into town in search of thrills.

thrill

noun

\ ˈthril

Medical Definition of thrill

: 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 thrill— R. L. Cecil & R. F. Loeb