thriller

noun

thrill·​er ˈthri-lər 

: 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

Synonyms of thriller

• suspenser

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

Among the 14 movies vying for the Golden Eye is Rhys Marc Jones’ Black Church Bay, a mystery-thriller starring Tom Cullen and Joe Locke about a man whose world unravels after an intimate encounter with a younger man. — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 17 Sep. 2026

She is set to make her film debut in Yann Demange’s upcoming thriller Lineage. — Paul Grein, Billboard, 17 Sep. 2026

Upcoming, Schulman and McKay are producing Michael Shanks’ Black List sci-fi thriller Hotel Hotel Hotel Hotel for A24, as well as Amazon MGM’s The Parlay, reteaming Judas and the Black Messiah‘s Shaka King and Daniel Kaluuya. — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 17 Sep. 2026

Lion Hearts, the third novel in his Essex Dogs trilogy, a thriller series set in 14th-century France and England, is now in paperback. — The Week Us, TheWeek, 15 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1889, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing thriller

• techno-thriller

Rhymes for thriller

• biller
• chiller
• driller
• filler
• hilar
• hiller
• killer
• pillar
• quiller
• siller
• spiller
• stiller

Kids Definition

thriller

noun

thril·​ler ˈthril-ər 

: one that thrills

especially : a work of fiction or drama with a great deal of action, mystery, adventure, or suspense