: causing a feeling of great excitement or happiness
a thrilling discovery
a thrilling performance
… flashes into the end zone to give the Rams the winning touchdown in the most thrilling Super Bowl finish ever.—
Rick Reilly
Rick Reilly
thrillingly
adverb
Who, in fact, are the good guys and who are the bad guys in the dramas that unfold here so thrillingly?
—Marie Winn
Marie Winn
… this is a powerful and thrillingly strange movie …
—Terrence Rafferty
Terrence Rafferty
Synonyms
Examples of thrilling in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
On December 18, Argentina faced off against defending champion France in the final, taking home the cup in a thrilling match that ended in 4-2 penalty shoot-out victory.
—Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 20 Nov. 2023
As Williams wrestled with the disappointment of another championship-less season in college, the potential end of his short but thrilling, two-year USC career apparently snuck up on him.
—Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 16 Nov. 2023
The Best Places to See Fall Foliage Across America — and Exactly When to Visit Each
While the idea of getting an extra hour of sleep is exciting, daylight saving time ending may not be the most thrilling day on your calendar.
—People Staff, Peoplemag, 3 Nov. 2023
The novelty of that control was thrilling to those of us raised on vinyl.
—Jon Michaud, The New Yorker, 16 Nov. 2023
Williams already put his mark on the rivalry last year, leading the Trojans to a thrilling 48-45 win in the Rose Bowl with 470 passing yards and two touchdowns with one rushing touchdown.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 16 Nov. 2023
Director Robert O’Hara resurrects Anthony Davis’s 1986 work about the black civil-rights leader, in a production that gives thrilling voice to a richly jazzy score.
—Heidi Waleson, WSJ, 14 Nov. 2023
Master acrobatic moves, execute thrilling combos, and experience the breathtaking excitement of web-swinging traversal through the DualSense wireless controller’s adaptive triggers.
—Rudie Obias, Variety, 10 Nov. 2023
Scott shifts from a beat predicated on brooding strings into a grander production, then makes one more thrilling beat switch.
—Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 7 Nov. 2023
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Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 20 Nov. 2023
As Williams wrestled with the disappointment of another championship-less season in college, the potential end of his short but thrilling, two-year USC career apparently snuck up on him.
—Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 16 Nov. 2023
The Best Places to See Fall Foliage Across America — and Exactly When to Visit Each
While the idea of getting an extra hour of sleep is exciting, daylight saving time ending may not be the most thrilling day on your calendar.
—People Staff, Peoplemag, 3 Nov. 2023
The novelty of that control was thrilling to those of us raised on vinyl.
—Jon Michaud, The New Yorker, 16 Nov. 2023
Williams already put his mark on the rivalry last year, leading the Trojans to a thrilling 48-45 win in the Rose Bowl with 470 passing yards and two touchdowns with one rushing touchdown.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 16 Nov. 2023
Director Robert O’Hara resurrects Anthony Davis’s 1986 work about the black civil-rights leader, in a production that gives thrilling voice to a richly jazzy score.
—Heidi Waleson, WSJ, 14 Nov. 2023
Master acrobatic moves, execute thrilling combos, and experience the breathtaking excitement of web-swinging traversal through the DualSense wireless controller’s adaptive triggers.
—Rudie Obias, Variety, 10 Nov. 2023
Scott shifts from a beat predicated on brooding strings into a grander production, then makes one more thrilling beat switch.
—Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 7 Nov. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'thrilling.' 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
1768, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near thrilling
Cite this Entry
“Thrilling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thrilling. Accessed 3 Dec. 2023.
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More from Merriam-Webster on thrilling
Nglish: Translation of thrilling for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of thrilling for Arabic Speakers
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