thrilling

adjective

thrill·​ing ˈthri-liŋ How to pronounce thrilling (audio)
: 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
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
… this is a powerful and thrillingly strange movie … Terrence Rafferty

Examples of thrilling in a Sentence

a thrilling adventure movie
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The official Black Caesar’s Revenge story synopsis reads: At the heart of this thrilling adventure story is the charismatic Black Caesar, hailing from the Oyo Kingdom (now Nigeria) and gradually bestowed with devastating (and bedeviling) powers from the deities known as Orishas. Zac Ntim, Deadline, 1 July 2025 The adventure takes a thrilling turn when Gates steals the Declaration of Independence to protect it from falling into the wrong hands. Jené Luciani Sena May Earn A Commission If You Buy Through Our Referral Links. This Content Was Created By A Team That Works Independently From The Fox Newsroom., FOXNews.com, 30 June 2025 New Jersey welterweight Julian Rodriguez earned a thrilling victory in the waning moments of the 10th and final round, staggering Avious Griffin with a sneaky left hand and eventually knocking the previously unbeaten Griffin sideways into the ropes for a stoppage with 5 seconds left. Greg Beacham, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2025 Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images An astonishing 11 golfers are within four strokes of the lead, setting up for a thrilling final round of action at the Rocket Mortgage Classic. Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for thrilling

Word History

First Known Use

1768, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of thrilling was in 1768

Cite this Entry

“Thrilling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thrilling. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on thrilling

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