thriller

noun

thrill·​er ˈthri-lər How to pronounce thriller (audio)
: one that thrills
especially : a work of fiction or drama designed to hold the interest by the use of a high degree of intrigue, adventure, or suspense

Examples of thriller in a Sentence

His latest novel is a political thriller. those television awards are hardly thrillers since the same people win year after year
Recent Examples on the Web Produced by Ronald Monteverde, the eight-part thriller centers on a Filipino maid and a Ukrainian detective unraveling a mystery that begins with a dead body in small town and spans halfway across the globe. Ben Croll, Variety, 20 Mar. 2024 The crime thriller features The Shield star Michael Chiklis. Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Mar. 2024 Lincoln 8, Prospect 7 Lincoln-San Jose won a back-and-forth 10-inning thriller when Lorenzo Collazo sent a ground ball deep enough in the infield to score the winning run. Joseph Dycus, The Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2024 Where to watch: Netflix 'Mea Culpa' Tyler Perry just gussied up the Lifetime thriller, y'all. Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 15 Mar. 2024 Swanson wrote his book as a thriller and always envisioned it on the screen, selling the rights well before publication. Stuart Miller, Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2024 Lopez, who also produced the film under her production company Nuyorican Productions, last collaborated with Netflix on her 2023 action thriller The Mother and the 2022 musical documentary Halftime. Jessica Wang, EW.com, 13 Mar. 2024 The thriller will world premiere at SXSW on March 11 and arrive in theaters April 12. Jessica Wang, EW.com, 7 Mar. 2024 His next movie, the action thriller Road House, is due to premiere at South by Southwest on March 8. Caitlin Huston, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Mar. 2024

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

Word History

First Known Use

1889, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of thriller was in 1889

Dictionary Entries Near thriller

Cite this Entry

“Thriller.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thriller. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

thriller

noun
thril·​ler ˈthril-ər How to pronounce thriller (audio)
: one that thrills
especially : a work of fiction or drama with a great deal of action, mystery, adventure, or suspense

More from Merriam-Webster on thriller

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